Monrovia, Liberia – A week-long capacity-building program on climate change and climate funding has been launched by the Liberian government through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s Climate Change office.
Conservation International and funding from the NDC Partnership are supporting the week-long capacity-building training. From February 24 to March 1, 2025, Jackie’s Conference Hall in Ganta City, Nimba County, will host an in-depth policy training to increase capacity in climate change and climate finance.
In addition to imparting the skills and knowledge required for climate change adaptation, climate finance mechanisms, and integrating climate action into policy and budgeting processes, the goal is to improve staff comprehension of climate financing, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) policy, and how to incorporate climate considerations into financial planning and reporting.
The training is a part of a larger effort to strengthen the Climate Integration and Financing Office (CIFO), which was founded in November 2024 with the goal of integrating climate change concerns into Liberia’s national budgeting and development planning procedures.
Mr. Foday Couch Bayoh, Jr., the Director of CIFO, stated during the inaugural session that the continuous exercise is essential to guaranteeing that climate financing and climate action are deeply ingrained in Liberia’s development procedures.
“Whatever knowledge gained from the exercise will empower staff from different Units and Departments across the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning,” he continued, adding that the exercise would empower staff members from various departments and units within the Ministry.
In order to help Liberia achieve its long-term climate goals, “we are also here to strengthen the ability of the MFDP’s climate desk officers and staff to include climate change into budgetary planning, policy creation, and reporting.”
He expressed gratitude to the NDC Partnership and Conservation International for their contributions to Climate Change and Climate Finance in Liberia. In line with Liberia’s obligations under the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Mr. Bayoh revealed that CIFO is instrumental in raising funds for climate-resilient projects.
Directors and senior-level professionals will be better able to manage climate-related policies and participate in international climate finance discussions with the support of Climate Change and Climate Finance training for the Ministry employees.
“This training will continue to support the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s Climate Integration and Financing Office’s growing capacity to ensure the country stays on track to meet its climate goals,” Mr. Bayoh said.
Mr. Assaf Kumeh, the lead facilitator, emphasized the significance of funding climate action in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase resilience, and adjust societies’ ability to withstand the negative effects of climate change brought on by previous emissions.
He added that the international community has reached a consensus in recent years that calls for immediate climate action. He oversaw the sources of climate funding that are pertinent to Liberia as well as the global climate finance scene.
In the context of climate issues, he said, it is believed that human activity has raised global temperatures by around 1.0 C over pre-industrial levels. “Taking climate action entails increasing efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards,” he continued.
According to Conservation International’s (CI) Project Officer, Mr. Neal Hueward, CI continue to support the Climate Change Office at MFDP to ensure that climate action is championed. CI also supported the mainstreaming of climate change into the recently launched National Development Plan, the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), and the 15 County Development Agendas (CDAs) through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
In early January 2025, a workshop was conducted in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, this one is being held in Ganta City, Nimba County. During the training, the staff will learn about the following topics: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and climate policy, the foundations of climate change and its global context, Climate financing mechanisms, such as the Green Climate Fund and other local and international sources, Sectoral integration and stakeholder involvement with an emphasis on the trash, transportation, energy, and agricultural sectors carbon markets and results-based finance (RBF) for NDCs, Nature-based approaches to climate resilience and the involvement of the private sector.
