By Sahrfoa Matturie
Government officials, environmental experts, development partners, and other stakeholders have reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to climate transparency and evidence-based environmental reporting during a Capacity-Building Training and Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the country’s First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) and Fourth National Communication (NC4).
The workshop, organised by the Environmental Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Capacity-Building Initiative for Transparency Global Support Programme (CBIT-GSP), brought together representatives from government ministries, agencies, and partner institutions to strengthen national capacity in climate reporting.
The initiative forms part of Sierra Leone’s obligations under the Paris Agreement, which requires countries to regularly report on greenhouse gas emissions, climate actions, and progress in addressing climate change.
Speaking at the workshop, Andrew Amadu Samura, Staff Director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, underscored the importance of collecting accurate and reliable data to assess Sierra Leone’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
He described the Biennial Transparency Report as an essential scientific tool for measuring the country’s emissions and providing evidence to support climate-related planning and international reporting.
“This report is important because it helps us determine whether Sierra Leone is emitting greenhouse gases and contributing to global warming. The only way we can know this is by collecting accurate data. Using specialised software, we can calculate emissions, analyse the information, and present it in a comprehensive report,” Samura said.
He noted that credible climate data is critical for informed policymaking, sustainable agricultural planning, environmental protection, and meeting international reporting obligations.
Also addressing participants, the Chief Director of the Environmental Protection Agency Sierra Leone, Sheku Kanneh, said the preparation of Sierra Leone’s First Biennial Transparency Report and Fourth National Communication demonstrates the country’s commitment to strengthening climate governance and fulfilling its obligations under international climate agreements.
He emphasized that collaboration among government institutions, technical experts, and development partners is essential to producing high-quality reports that accurately reflect Sierra Leone’s environmental realities and support evidence-based climate action.
The workshop provided participants with technical training on greenhouse gas inventory preparation, data collection methodologies, reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement, and strategies for improving coordination among institutions responsible for climate data management.
Participants also discussed measures to strengthen national systems for monitoring, reporting, and verification, ensuring that Sierra Leone’s climate reports meet international standards of transparency, accuracy, consistency, completeness, and comparability.
The Environmental Protection Agency said robust climate reporting will not only enable Sierra Leone to meet its international obligations but also strengthen its ability to access climate finance, attract investment for environmental initiatives, and implement effective climate adaptation and mitigation programmes.
The workshop concluded with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to working collaboratively to generate reliable climate data that will inform national development planning and contribute to global efforts to address climate change.
