On April 3rd, Sierra Leone officially launched three environmental frameworks: its new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and National Pollutant Inventory (NPI). The milestone event took place at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel in Freetown and was hosted by the Government of Sierra Leone in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) and Sierra Leone’s Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

The event brought together national, regional and international partners, including representatives from the European Union, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), NDC Partnership, NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, other UN Agencies, international NGOs, and government ministries.

Leaders emphasized the importance of the three environmental frameworks to address the interconnected and growing threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and forge a brighter future for Sierra Leone. Following the launch ceremony, technical sessions supported planning and preparation to accelerate implementation, including of the country’s NBSAP revision.

Opening the event, Executive Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Abu Bakarr S Massaquoi, emphasised NDCs, NBSAPs and NPIs as three game-changing tools for the next generation of Sierra Leoneans. He described them not merely as documents, but as passports for global engagement on climate, nature, and pollution solutions.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh Emmanuel Abdulai, delivered a keynote address, urging stakeholders to focus on how environmental crises affect the lives and livelihoods of people across Sierra Leone. He stressed the significance of protecting the country’s natural assets and increasing climate adaptation, and embedding sustainability into national development. In closing, Abdulai reaffirmed that “today’s launch marks a significant milestone in addressing the climate, nature and pollution crisis that we face.” He called for collaboration and inclusive decision-making at all levels, inviting experts and change-makers to support national transformation.

Representatives from the European Union, German BMZ/GIZ, NDC partnership, UNDP, and FAO shared commitments to key priorities, such as:

• Increasing ambition across frameworks
• Coordinating and building synergies between frameworks
• Fostering whole-of-government collaboration across ministries and departments, and whole-of-society approaches with diverse community participation
• Mobilising financing
• Addressing implementation gaps
• Aligning frameworks with development priorities, including Sierra Leone’s Medium–Term National Development Plan for 2024 to 2030.

Following the ceremony’s formal speeches, participants dove into technical working sessions tailored to each framework. The technical session for Sierra Leone’s new NBSAP focused on aligning its strategy with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) adopted at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Experts reviewed baseline data, identified information gaps, and discussed inclusion strategies to engage all sectors of government and society. They explored options for synergy across frameworks and called for specific support needs, including:

• Clear government commitments
• Financial mobilization from the Ministry of Finance
• Development partner engagement
• Monitoring frameworks to track progress over time

Abdul Salim, Sierra Leone’s in-country facilitator appointed through the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, engaged with key leaders during the technical session, emphasising ways to build synergies, improve coordination, and step forward on critical action points. The country’s NBSAP will support ambitious GBF Targets like halting species extinction, conserving 30% of ecosystems, restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems, and restoring and enhancing Nature’s benefit to people. The session enabled Salim and other key actors to deepen their understanding of the national context and connect with government ministries, civil society, academia, private sector actors and development partners. By the session’s conclusion, the group had established a baseline of information to support an updated, high-ambition NBSAP focused on biodiversity conservation and community benefit.

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