16/03/2026
Congratulations team 🫰🏾🫰🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Liberia Builds Climate Capacity as 16 Graduates First Cohort to Earn MRV Credentials for Climate Action
Monrovia, Liberia, March 16, 2026 — Sixteen Liberians have graduated from the University of Liberia’s (UL) inaugural Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate Program in Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) for Climate Action.
This first cohort marks a critical step in strengthening Liberia’s capacity to govern climate data, reporting, and action. Of the 16 graduates, 15 earned the MRV Diploma in Climate Action, and 1 earned the MRV Certificate, underscoring the program’s dual-track design.
The MRV for Climate Action program is delivered through a partnership between the University of Liberia and the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA), with support from international partners. With the Government of Canada funding through Environment and Climate Change Canada supported the establishment of the National Climate Action Laboratory and the development of the curriculum used to train the country’s first climate-action professionals.
The initiative is designed to bolster Liberia’s technical capabilities in climate governance, particularly MRV, a core mechanism for tracking progress on climate commitments and environmental management.
The graduation ceremony took place on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at National Climate Action Laboratory, attended by government officials, UL and EPA faculty, development partners, and families celebrating the graduates’ achievement.
Delivering remarks, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of EPA, described the graduation as a pivotal step in strengthening Liberia’s ability to respond to climate change.
He highlighted growing climate pressures on agriculture, coastal communities, infrastructure, forests, and public health, and stressed the need for trained professionals who can generate reliable data, monitor progress, and inform national decision-making.
He reiterated the Government of Liberia’s commitment—through EPA to building the country’s technical workforce for climate governance and environmental management.
Yarkpawolo also credited the EPA-UL partnership for establishing National Climate Action Laboratory and implementing the MRV training, and applauded Canada’s support for laboratory development and curriculum design.
He urged graduates to apply their knowledge across government, research, and development programs to strengthen climate resilience in Liberia. He also announced near-term plans for solar installations at EPA, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and Climate Lab, and the March 18 official launch of an organic waste composting facility in Fiamah supported by the MRV Climate Action program.
Representing the University of Liberia, Dr. Agnes Reeves Taylor, Vice President for Academic Affairs, called the ceremony a historic moment for both the university and the nation. She noted that the MRV for Climate Action program is the first of its kind in Liberia and represents a major step toward building national capacity to address climate change.
The graduates, she said, are ambassadors for climate action and carry significant responsibility as the first cohort.
Dr. Taylor emphasized that the program is competence-based, combining theory with practical skills, and urged graduates to use their training to reduce environmental impacts within their institutions. She also stressed the precautionary principle in environmental protection and thanked the EPA and Canada for their support.
She praised UL faculty for their dedication and highlighted the program’s emphasis on solving real-world problems through applied learning.
For his part, Dr. Charles Asumana Sr., Dean of the UL College of Science and Technology and School of Environmental Studies and Climate Change, outlined the curriculum’s intent and structure. He explained that the program was designed after a capacity needs assessment and a review of international best practices, with three core competencies: scientific and systems thinking, policy and ethics, and practical action-based climate solutions.
He cited examples of courses in Climate Processes and Dynamics, Environmental Data Analysis, Predictive Modeling and Risk Assessment, Climate Policy Development and Analysis, Sustainable Development Practices, and Equity and Justice in Climate Action. He mentioned that earning a diploma requires seven courses plus a capstone project within ten months; while the certificate requires three courses within three months in a specified area of specialization.
Dr. Asumana also shared statistics for the first cohort: sixteen graduates in total, with fifteen earning the diploma and one completing the certificate; the class comprised twelve men and four women.
Also speaking during the ceremony, Emmanuel Temitope Olatunji, Director of the Graduate Program of Environmental Studies and Climate Change at the University of Liberia and Pilot Co-Lead of the MRV for Climate Action Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate Program, formally presented the graduates to the leadership of the university and the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia.
Dr. Olatunji said the sixteen students had successfully completed all academic requirements of the program after months of intensive study and practical training in climate action.
According to him, the graduates have been equipped with the knowledge and technical skills needed to support Liberia’s efforts in climate governance, environmental management, and national reporting on climate commitments.
He then proudly presented the graduates to the EPA leadership and the University of Liberia administration as qualified professionals prepared to contribute to climate action and sustainable development in Liberia.
The MRV for Climate Action program is anticipated to play a key role in strengthening Liberia’s climate reporting systems, supporting national climate commitments, and building local expertise to address environmental challenges.
The initiative reflects a shared commitment among the Government of Liberia, UL, EPA, and international partners to deliver practical, result-oriented climate education and capacity-building for the country.
