The National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL) has ended a one-day interactive stocktake Consultative Meeting on Nationally Determined Contributions, otherwise known as NDCs.
NDC, for short, is a nationally determined contribution or a country’s self-defined national pledge under the Paris Agreement for climate action to reduce the rate of climate change (climate change mitigation) and adapt its impact (climate change adaptation) UNFCCC 2024a. It also includes addressing loss and damage associated with adverse impacts that are no longer avoidable.
NDC outlined how much and through which action each country aims to reduce greenhouse emissions including how to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to climate impacts and how to mobilize and align financial flows to reach those aims.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo, informs the gathering of Liberia’s commitment to reducing its economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 64% below the projected business-as-usual level by 2030.
He named other commitments as the reduction of the national deforestation rate by 50% by 2030 as well as the reduction of GHG emissions by 1,800 Gg C02e per year by limiting the forest management concessions to 1.6ha by 2030.
At the same time, he indicated that Liberia is working on improving national policy to reduce GHG emissions by incentivizing sustainable fuel wood and charcoal production by 2030. Every country, as part of the process, is required to review and update their NDC every five years to reflect increased national ambition involving capacities for climate action.
Liberia, as part of its process, the EPA boss stressed, is currently working with nine sectors in the NDCs including Agriculture, Coastal Zone, Fisheries, Energy, Forestry, Health, Industry, Waste and Transportation, respectively.
Highlighting the CSO’s contribution to such a process, Director Yarkpawolo used the occasion to call for the active engagement of civil society organizations in the sector and assured that the body would identify targets outlined in various projects where the EPA accreditations align with the NDC more robustly and measurably.
“We want stocktake to be a process in the ongoing implementation, which will require the development of monitoring and evaluation framework for the next NDCs phase”, he added.
Also speaking at the meeting was the Chairperson of the NCSCL, Loretta Pop Kai, who underscored the crucial role that CSOs have to play in advancing climate action and holding the government accountable.
She said Liberia’s NDC represents the Country’s commitment to advancing climate change and building a sustainable future for all. “CSOs, she stated, should continue to advocate for ambitious climate change targets, increase transparency and meaningful engagement for all stakeholders in the implementation of the NCDs.
“Together, we can drive a positive change and ensure that Liberia fulfills its commitment for the benefit of our country and future generations. As such, let’s work together collaboratively towards a sustainable goal”, she noted.
The team leader of UNDP, Dorsla Farcarthy, welcomes Liberia’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 64% below business as usual by 2030, which he pointed out is a significant step forward towards climate resilience and sustainability.
However, he was quick to point out that fulfilling such ambition requires coordinated efforts, adequate funding and inclusive participation.
Farcarthy told the gathering that through the climate promise initiative, the UNDP has been privileged to support Liberia in developing the NSC financing strategy and the implementation plan, both of which are crucial in identifying sectoral action and addressing gaps in implementation.
” Our continued support for this process underscores our commitment to ensuring that climate action remains both impactful and sustainable “, he re-emphasized.
The UNDP’s team leader also stated that the primary purpose of the NDC stocktake is to comprehensively assess national progress towards the Paris Agreement pledges and identify needs and opportunities as well as remaining challenges and recommendations for implementation in the next round of the NDC.
According to him, CSO engagement and advocacy are at the heartbeat of such an effort, noting that CSO engagement and advocacy and on-the-ground initiative bridge policy and practices, ensuring that climate action reaches the most vulnerable communities.
He commended the NCSCL for such an initiative, thus indicating that CSOs are key stakeholders in national and international processes as their role is crucial to the country, especially in decision-making, providing technical support and research, and advocating for ambitious action.
He also named other important roles that CSOs played in the process as the creation of awareness, building of capacity and enhancing resilience of the most vulnerable populations.
Meanwhile, the interactive Consultative Meeting, which brought together CSOs from different sectors, ended with the adoption of key points for the next NDCs.
