Environment Minister Demands Funding to Match Global Biodiversity Commitments
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leone’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh E. Abdulai, has called for increased international financial support to help Least Developed Countries (LDCs) meet global biodiversity conservation targets by 2030.
Speaking at the high-level segment of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), Abdulai stressed that global environmental commitments must be matched by adequate funding to enable vulnerable countries to protect their ecosystems and achieve agreed targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
During a ministerial luncheon with Diego Mesa Puyo, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Minister outlined key priorities for improving access to biodiversity financing and strengthening national conservation efforts.
Abdulai urged the GEF to extend the fast-tracking mechanisms under the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) to its wider biodiversity portfolio. He also called for more flexible co-financing arrangements that recognise in-kind contributions and domestic policy reforms, alongside greater access for national and regional institutions to implement GEF-funded projects directly.
He emphasised the need to link biodiversity conservation with rural economic development so that local communities can benefit from sustainable livelihoods while protecting the ecosystems on which they depend.
The Minister further called for stronger national institutions, improved environmental data collection and better spatial planning tools to help countries monitor progress towards their biodiversity commitments. He cautioned against overreliance on temporary project management units, advocating instead for investment in permanent government structures.
Abdulai also supported innovative financing options, including debt-for-nature swaps and biodiversity credits, provided they are backed by strong social and environmental safeguards. He urged international partners to help LDCs phase out harmful subsidies and align their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans with national climate adaptation plans, emissions-reduction commitments and poverty-reduction strategies.
He concluded that LDCs cannot achieve global biodiversity targets without financial support that reflects the scale of the environmental challenges and the commitments they have undertaken.