Africa-Press – Liberia. Speaking on behalf of President Boakai, Dr. Yarkpawolo praised Brazil for hosting the landmark conference in the heart of the Amazon, commending the country’s leadership in forest conservation and climate diplomacy.
Representing President Joseph Boakai, Sr., Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, delivered a strong address at the Leaders’ Summit of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, calling for greater international support to protect tropical forests and close the global climate financing gap.
Speaking on behalf of President Boakai, Dr. Yarkpawolo praised Brazil for hosting the landmark conference in the heart of the Amazon, commending the country’s leadership in forest conservation and climate diplomacy.
He said the setting of Belém, where the Amazon breathes for the planet, serves as a reminder that tropical forests everywhere must be preserved if humanity is to sustain its future.
Highlighting Liberia’s environmental significance, Dr. Yarkpawolo noted that the country holds over 43 percent of the remaining Upper Guinean Forests of West Africa, one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots. He described these forests as global lungs essential for capturing carbon, regulating rainfall, and maintaining regional stability, emphasizing that protecting them is not only a Liberian responsibility but a global imperative.
Dr. Yarkpawolo outlined Liberia’s ambitious climate goals under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 64 percent by 2035. He cautioned, however, that achieving these goals requires substantial investment and said the gap between Liberia’s vision and available climate finance remains wide, threatening progress toward adaptation, renewable energy, and sustainable livelihoods. He therefore called for stronger global financial partnerships.
Liberia also expressed strong support for the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a performance-based funding mechanism that rewards countries for conserving and sustainably managing forests. According to Dr. Yarkpawolo, the initiative represents hope that Liberia’s commitment to conservation will be matched with predictable financial support, allowing the country to preserve the Upper Guinean Forest while promoting green jobs, community development, and resilient landscapes.
He linked Liberia’s climate strategy to the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which focuses on Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism. Dr. Yarkpawolo said this framework ensures that climate action directly improves citizens’ lives, describing it as climate justice in practice. He further noted that Liberia’s National Carbon Market Policy guarantees that the benefits of carbon trading are shared fairly with indigenous peoples and local communities, ensuring equity and transparency in climate governance.
Dr. Yarkpawolo urged world leaders to move beyond pledges and act with urgency and solidarity. He said the Paris Agreement must now be fully implemented not in speeches but through financing, technology, and capacity support that empower countries like Liberia to meet their commitments.
He called on COP30 to become a decisive moment where promises become progress and reaffirmed Liberia’s readiness to lead with integrity, protect its forests, and partner with the world in building a just, resilient, and sustainable planet.
The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in Belém, Brazil, bringing together world leaders to discuss strategies for protecting tropical forests, accelerating decarbonization, and strengthening climate finance for developing nations.
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