The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia has received a delegation from the Environment Protection Agency of Sierra Leone for a 3-day Peer-to-peer learning exchange which runs from June 19-21, 2024.
The team's visit aims to increase their understanding of Climate Transparency processes in the Paris Agreement, including best practices and lessons learned from Liberia in the implementation of Liberia's Capacity Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) from 2018 to 2021.
Liberia's CBIT Project titled: "Building and Strengthening Liberia's National Capacity to Implement the Transparency Elements of the Paris Agreement", was implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia and Conservation International (CI), with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The Environment Protection Agency of Sierra is also implementing the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) in collaboration with UN Environment and funding from the Global Environment Facility, which is expected to end on June 30, 2024.
Upon arrival of the team to Liberia, the team initially met with the EPA Liberia Executive Director/CEO and Senior Management team at the Agency's headquarters on Wednesday, July 19, 2024, and had an introductory meeting where they disclosed the purpose of the visit. The Sierra Leone team was welcomed by the senior staff of the EPA headed by its Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo.
As part of the team visit, a one-day technical meeting was organized by Liberia's EPA on June 20, 2024, at the Bella Casa Hotel in Monrovia. The meeting brought together 24 government sector experts, where presentations were made on the implementation of both Liberia and Sierra Leone CBIT projects; highlighting achievements, milestones, challenges, best practices, and lessons learned. Additional presentations were made by Liberia on its methodologies and guidelines for greenhouse gas data collection in Liberia that supported the development of Liberia's National Communications and Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), as well as the status update on Liberia's Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) processes.
For his part, Executive Director Yarkpawolo welcomed participants at the technical meeting. He stated that Liberia has transitioned peacefully to a new administration and is determined to change the narratives through the President's ARREST Agenda which seeks to improve the political, socio-economic, and environmental conditions of Liberia and Liberians, through improvement in Agriculture, Road infrastructure, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation and Health and Tourism.
Dr. Yarkpawolo, speaking further, said to ensure that global climate finances such as the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and Global Climate Finance (GCF) align with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), there is a need to revise the EPA strategic plan.
He averred that this strategic alignment would position Liberia to adequately benefit from international climate financing, which will only endorse projects that will align with the ARREST Agenda.
Speaking further, Liberia EPA's boss mentioned that Liberia and Sierra Leone have shared needs and common interests. "We share borders, and in some instances speak the same language; both countries are resource-rich and are recovering from years of civil instabilities. Both countries are also posed to bear some of the greatest devastating impacts of climate change and global warming."
Dr. Yarkpawolo, who is also the Ambassador for the West African Alliance for Carbon Market and Climate Finance, emphasized to the EPA Sierra Leone visiting team that they can do all the training and capacity buildings but, if they don't practice the profession with integrity and simply allow the usual corruption that has plagued countries for decades with immeasurable negative impacts on the people, they would get nowhere.
He however admonished his fellow Liberians to do their best in striving to "Think Liberia, Love Liberia, and Build Liberia" for a better Liberia is only possible where the Government is, should, and must become a place to serve and not a place to steal.
The EPA Sierra Leone delegation includes Madam Lovetta Y. Juanah, Project Manager, CBIT; Emmanuel During, Manager of Climate Change Secretariat EPA-SL; Frances Smith, Environmental Officer, EPA-SL and Ishmael K. Dumbuya, Manager, External Relations, has expressed gratitude to the Liberian Government through the EPA for its acceptance and overall organization of their mission.
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In closing remarks, Mr. Arthur R.M. Becker, Acting Manager for the Department of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) & National Focal Point for the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) at the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, said the peer-to-peer learning exchange visit to Liberia will help accelerate future collaboration between Liberia and Sierra Leone in strengthening the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) in the Paris Agreement, climate reporting as well as integrated climate action. Speaking further "The Peer-to-Peer learning exchange visit is also geared towards strengthening stronger collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia and the Environment Protection Agency of Sierra Leone to promote environmental sustainability in both countries including the Mano River Union and West Africa." He later thanked the Sierra Leone team for choosing Liberia and looked forward to future collaborations.
The technical meeting was concluded with a plenary discussion on finding ways through which Liberia and Sierra Leone can strengthen their Enhanced Transparency (ETF) reporting processes on the Paris Agreement to develop National Communications (NCs), BTRs, and MRV systems.
