By Emmanuel wise Jipoh
Highlighting Climate Change, the Government of Liberia through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and partners kickstart a five-day high-level meeting today, 18 October on Nationally Determined Contribution implementation plans.
Speaking with reporters in Monrovia about the weeklong meeting, EPA Executive Director, Professor Wilson K. Tarpeh, said the meeting focuses on Liberia’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and its implementation, including two days’ workshop on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and star allocation of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address biodiversity, climate change and land desertification.
Prof. Tarpeh recalled that last year, Liberia developed a Revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the new climate change plan of the country for the next two years aimed at reducing greenhouse emission by 64 percent below the projected business as usual by 2030, on conditional and non-conditional basis.
The revised NDC was constructed from GHG mitigation targets across nine key sectors, including agriculture, forests, coastal zones, fisheries, health, transport, industry, energy, and waste as well as cross-cutting targets for urban green corridors.
They are impelled by growing interest among countries since the finalization of the Article 6 Rulebook in Glasgow (COP 26, 2021) to participate in Article 6 activities.
Day one of the planned Ministerial Meeting will focus on the official launch of the NDC implementation plan and ministerial consultation on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, while raising awareness and securing political buy-in for implementation of Article 6 mechanisms in Liberia.
Following the high-level ministerial meeting, the event will continue with four-day capacity-building activities to facilitate implementation of Article 6 readiness activities in Liberia that covers a one-day Pre COP27 Preparatory Meeting, and a one-day GEF 8 STAR Allocation Meeting, respectively.
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The events are expected to galvanize national interests and improve political and institutional preparedness for Article 6 readiness activities here.
Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) seeks to reduce the impact of climate change by enabling society to be a part of the solution.
Education and training are fundamental in enabling citizens’ contributions to local and global efforts to meet the climate change challenge. During the meeting, a summary of the outcome of the 26th Conference of the Parties or COP 26 in Glasgow, an overview of the UNFCCC Article 6 market mechanism as well as the country’s obligations will be provided.
Days two and three of the meeting will highlight Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which is classified into three categories, namely; the International Transfer of Carbon Credits between countries (Internationally Transferred Mitigation); the Creation of Credits for emission reduction projects undertaking in developing countries; non-Market based approaches such as applying taxes to discourage emissions or development aid.
Meanwhile, President George Manneh Weah, the cabinet, members of the Diplomatic Corps, heads of International Institutions, academia, and students, among others are expected to attend the official start of the meeting today at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. Editing by Jonathan Browne
