By Vaye Abel Lepolu
Monrovia, December 15 — ActionAid Liberia has officially kicking out of Phase Two of the National People’s Climate Justice Summit at the EJS Administrative Complex in Congo Town, bringing together government officials, civil society organizations, international partners, farmers, women and youth groups, persons with disabilities, and students from across Liberia.
The two-day summit is being held under the theme “Climate Financing for Agroecology and Renewable Energy,” with a strong focus on mobilizing people-driven climate finance to support community-led solutions, strengthen resilience, and promote a just transition in Liberia.
Opening the summit, ActionAid Liberia Country Director Madam Elizabeth Johnson said the gathering was not merely about discussing climate change, but about addressing inequality and ensuring that climate policies, financing, and technologies benefit those most affected by the crisis.
“We are here to confront inequality and to demand a just transition where dignity, resilience, and opportunity come first for communities bearing the heaviest climate burden,” Johnson said.
She noted that the inaugural Climate Justice Summit held last year helped advance key national priorities, including scaling agroecology, accelerating renewable energy adoption, and promoting people-driven climate finance. According to her, the summit also strengthened collaboration between civil society and government ministries, encouraged the review of extractive sector concessions to improve domestic revenue mobilization, and ensured meaningful participation of women and youth in the formulation of Liberia’s NDC 3.0.
However, Johnson acknowledged that significant challenges remain. She pointed to continued flooding and coastal erosion in communities such as West Point and the St. Paul River watershed, erratic rainfall affecting farmers in Bong, Gbarpolu, and Montserrado counties, and persistent energy poverty that limits livelihoods and education opportunities.
“Climate finance remains too slow, too centralized, and too far removed from the real priorities of our people,” she emphasized.
She outlined five priority areas guiding the summit’s deliberations: people-driven climate finance; scaling agroecology across the agriculture sector; accountability under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) with gender- and youth-responsive indicators; renewable energy, green jobs, and inclusive land access; and disaster preparedness and climate-induced crisis response.
Johnson stressed that agroecology offers a proven pathway to climate resilience, improved nutrition, and reduced dependence on costly synthetic inputs, while renewable energy and secure land tenure are essential for transforming rural livelihoods and creating decent green jobs.
Representing the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Deputy Minister for Administration Bill McGill Jones, speaking on behalf of Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, described climate change as a macro-fiscal, developmental, and social imperative that directly affects Liberia’s revenue base, infrastructure, and agricultural productivity.
Jones disclosed that the MFDP has established the Climate Integration and Financing Office (CIFO) to mainstream climate action into national planning and budgeting while mobilizing resources for climate-resilient investments. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to people-centered climate finance, innovative financing mechanisms, and public-private partnerships to support renewable energy, agroecology, and green jobs.
He also highlighted Liberia’s progress under its NDC 2.0, noting that the country secured commitments of approximately US$573 million, with US$213 million disbursed as of December 2024. Despite these gains, he acknowledged that fiscal constraints remain a major challenge to fully implementing the more ambitious NDC 3.0.
“Climate change is no longer just an environmental concern; it is a macro-fiscal and developmental issue that directly affects Liberia’s future,” Jones said.
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of civil society, Loretta Alethea Pope Kai welcomed the summit as a timely platform to amplify the voices of communities, women, youth, and persons with disabilities who are most affected by climate change.
She stressed that climate justice demands that those who contributed the least to the climate crisis should not bear its greatest burdens, calling for inclusive, people-centered climate action rooted in indigenous knowledge, transparency, and accountability.
Civil society, she said, stands ready to collaborate with government, the private sector, and development partners to ensure that climate commitments translate into concrete actions that deliver adaptation support, climate financing, and sustainable development for all Liberians.
The summit is expected to conclude with the adoption of a 2025 People’s Climate Justice Communiqué, outlining clear priorities, timelines, and financing pathways to advance agroecology, renewable energy, and climate justice across Liberia.
