Published: August 22, 2025
GANTA, Nimba County — Liberia has opened a national dialogue on carbon markets aimed at drafting the country’s first climate law, in what officials are calling a decisive step toward transforming its vast forests into a driver of sustainable growth.
The two-day forum, which began Thursday in the northeastern city of Ganta, brought together government ministers, lawmakers, development partners, academics, civil society groups, and private sector leaders. Organizers say the talks will lay the groundwork for a legal framework to govern carbon trading in a nation that contains more than 40 percent of West Africa’s Upper Guinea Forest, one of the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots.
Urgency on Climate Action
Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo, executive director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency, told participants the country can no longer view climate change as a distant debate. He pointed to coastal erosion, unpredictable rainfall, and agricultural disruptions as clear signs of a worsening crisis.
“The climate is changing,” Yarkpawolo said. “Scientific evidence is clear that human activities, deforestation, industrial emissions, and unsustainable land use, are driving these impacts. Liberia is already feeling the consequences.”
Although Liberia is a low emitter of greenhouse gases, he said the country is well-positioned to benefit from carbon markets under the Paris Agreement, but only if it enacts strong policies to ensure transparency and fairness. Earlier consultations across seven counties raised concerns over who owns carbon rights, how revenues will be shared, and whether Liberia should pursue voluntary or regulated markets.
Yarkpawolo said the government intends to present a finalized carbon market policy at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil this November, a move he described as a signal of Liberia’s readiness to engage the global carbon economy.
Reclaiming Resources
Deputy Finance Minister Dehpue Zuo, who chairs the National Climate Change Steering Committee, urged Liberians to view the process as an opportunity to reclaim ownership of natural resources. He said President Joseph Boakai’s administration is determined to turn natural capital into financial capital that benefits ordinary citizens.
“It is unacceptable that Liberia, which holds the largest share of the Upper Guinea Forest, continues to live in poverty,” Zuo said. He linked the initiative to the president’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which prioritizes agriculture, infrastructure, education, and tourism.
Lessons From the Past
C.J. Rudolph Merab, managing director of the Forestry Development Authority, cautioned that the country must avoid repeating mistakes of past resource exploitation, where benefits were concentrated among a few.
“The way we handle it will determine how our country grows,” Merab said. “If we treat it as elephant meat to be carved up among a few, we will lose the opportunity. Liberia is bigger than any group or anyone.”
Toward a Climate Economy
The Ganta dialogue is seen as pivotal for Liberia, a nation still recovering from years of conflict and economic fragility, yet endowed with rich forests that store vast amounts of carbon. International observers say the decisions reached here could shape how the country balances conservation with development in the decades ahead.
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