The Environmental Protection Agency-EPA along with UNDP, the European Union-EU, Conservation International-CI and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnerships on 13-16 April 2021, conducted a four-day training for national experts on the different processes and strategies on the submission of budget allotment for unconditional NDC commitments.

The training discussed all NDC sectors including the Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) analysis, and the NDC Cost-Benefit Analysis and Financial strategy.

The Coordinator of all NDC related activities in the country provided an overview of the NDC. John F. Kanneh said that Liberia is in the final stages of NDC Revision.

Kanneh pointed out that the EPA and its Partners have been holding a number of significant workshops and trainings to gather the most needed inputs from all sectors across the country, including civil society, Government Agencies, the private sectors among others.

He added that Liberia initiated a process for reviewing its NDC to prepare and communicate an updated version to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change-UNFCCC Secretariat.

Kanneh however, stressed the need for multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary collaboration to help strengthen NDC revision for more and an all-inclusive climate mitigation actions by integrating all data, views, inputs, and technical ideas.

“In these final stages, there is an opportunity to update all sectors from agriculture, coastal zone, energy, fisheries, forestry, health, green corridors, SLCPs, transport & infrastructure and wastes with inputs from CSOs/NGOs coalition, youth and gender groups, academia and other national experts for increased resilience,”he intimated.

Giving remarks, the Team Leader of the LTTA-EU which supports the EPA in Energy, Waste and Transport at the European Union, emphasized that it is clear that Liberia’s contribution to climate change  is somehow still limited.

“Because you signed onto the Paris Agreement, it is binding on you to make the contributions," Manuel A. Fuentes noted.

Fuentes stressed that thetraining was very important because it will establish the baseline for those playing technical roles in helping to stop emissions.

Representing the former UN Focal point of the National Medium Term Expenditure Budgeting at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, J. Barchue Wellington reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Financing in supporting the revision process of the NDC which  is at its final stages.

Also speaking, the Country Director of CI, Peter G. Mulbah stressed that a financial strategy will help Liberia as a country to implement the NDC and at the same time help development partners access information and to mobilize resources.  

The event brought together technicians on  budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation officers from all sectors of government Ministries and Agencies, CSOs, NGOs, the private sector including coastal and zonal companies, women and youth groups.

The overall goal of the training was to strengthen information dissemination on climate change and mitigation actions ensuring that all sectors are on board for collective actions on the implementation of various programmes.