Liberia Takes Bold Steps towards Leadership in Global Maritime Emissions Reduction

By: Charles Samuel Kollie 

The Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), in collaboration with University College London (UCL), climaxed as a three-day National Stakeholders Consultative Engagement Workshop in Monrovia. This initiative, strategically designed to enhance Liberia's negotiation capacity in preparation for the forthcoming International Maritime Organization - IMO meeting, expands on the successful inception meeting from last Friday, which was followed by the opening session on Monday, the 24th of June.

The workshop convened technical experts from nineteen government ministries and agencies, including the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), the National Port Authority (NPA), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, (MOCI), the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), and the Environment Protection Agency - EPA for  intensive focus group discussions, strategic planning, and collaborative dialogue. The "Just and Equitable Transition (JET)" framework guides these discussions on topics like investment opportunities and barriers, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and the integration of accurate data into decision-making processes.

Dr. Harry T. Conway, Liberia’s Alternative Permanent Representative to the IMO and Chairman of the IMO Committee on Maritime Environment Protection, expressed profound gratitude to the stakeholders for their remarkable turnout and commitment. He highlighted the importance of creating opportunities and ensuring a just and equitable transition across all sectors. He also emphasized the importance of robust data collection and analysis as a means of strengthening Liberia's negotiation capacity at the upcoming MEPC 82 convention and beyond. 

In her closing remarks, Dr. Dola Oluteye, Senior Research Fellow in Energy and Transport Policy and Lead of African Climate Action Programs at the Energy Institute, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy, and Resources (BSEER), University College London (UCL), expressed her gratitude to the stakeholders for their participation. She underscored the importance of familiarizing all stakeholders with the "GHG Reduction Strategy" and the need for accurate data collection. 

LiMA and UCL are committed to comprehensively representing and incorporating all stakeholder perspectives into a unified national strategy through the Leading Effective Afrocentric Participation (LEAP) project. This collaborative endeavor marks a significant step towards strengthening Liberia's capacity to lead in global marine affairs and actively contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the maritime industry.