EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Government of Liberia, through the National Climate Change Steering Committee (NCCSC), convened a National Carbon Dialogue on 21–22 August 2025 in Ganta, Nimba County. The Dialogue was chaired by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – co-chair I, and the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), co-chair II with the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) serving as the NCCSC’s secretary and technical and operational arm. The event was financially and technically supported by the Government of Canada through NovaSphere, Measurement Reporting and Verification (MRV) for Climate Action, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the European Union Delegation, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), Heritage Partners Associates, LLC (HPA), the Palladium Group implemented, Multi-stakeholder Forest Governance and Accountability Project (MFGAP), Flora and Fauna, the Embassy of the United Kingdom to Monrovia and others. The Dialogue provided a national platform to deliberate on key issues central to Liberia’s carbon governance framework, including carbon ownership and benefit- sharing, institutional arrangements, market mechanisms, grievance redress mechanism, and financial management. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Liberia is at a critical juncture in advancing its climate governance and policy frameworks. As a Party to the Paris Agreement (PA) and a nation endowed with extensive forest resources—comprising a significant share of the Upper Guinea Forest—the country has both an obligation and an opportunity to leverage carbon as a national asset to address climate change while pursuing sustainable development. The Government of Liberia has undertaken several initiatives, including the adoption of a National Climate Change Policy and Response Strategy (2018), the development of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the implementation of the national REDD+ Strategy. However, gaps remain in institutional coordination, legal frameworks, monitoring and reporting systems, and benefit-sharing mechanisms. To address these gaps and to chart a clear path toward comprehensive carbon governance, the Government of Liberia convened a National Carbon Dialogue (Dialogue). The Dialogue was held on 21–22 August 2025 at the Peace Empire Hotel in Ganta, Nimba County. The Dialogue provided a national platform for stakeholders to deliberate on key issues related to carbon ownership, institutional arrangements, financial management, and market mechanisms, informing the drafting of a National Carbon Policy and laying the foundation for a future Climate Change Law.
