Freetown, 6 June 2025 (ECA) –The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with Global Sovereign Advisory (GSA) and the Government of Sierra Leone, successfully concluded on 5 June 2025 a four-day capacity-building workshop on green and sustainable finance in Freetown (Sierra Leone).
The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of key national stakeholders - particularly from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Sierra Leone - to effectively access and structure innovative climate finance solutions aligned with the SDGs and the country’s Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan.
From 2 to 5 June 2025, participants familiarized themselves with the practical tools and knowledge to design ESG-compliant projects, conduct debt sustainability assessments, navigate carbon markets, and leverage blended finance mechanisms, including debt-for-nature swaps. They also studied strategies to enhance the country’s sovereign credit rating - an essential enabler for mobilizing private sector and concessional climate financing.
The training emphasized the critical importance of robust institutions, coherent policy frameworks, and cross-sectoral collaboration in building investor confidence and attracting green investments. Participants reviewed international case studies and developed project concepts tailored to Sierra Leone’s national priorities, highlighting the need for inclusive, community-based approaches and the integration of social safeguards into development efforts.
Sierra Leone currently finds itself at a crucial juncture in its development journey with projected green investment needs of USD 39 billion by 2050. In this context, the imperative to diversify financing sources in the face of fiscal constraints has become more critical than ever. Despite facing numerous environmental, fiscal, economic, and social challenges, Sierra Leone is advancing a bold vision for inclusive and sustainable growth, driven by landmark initiatives such as the Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan. This strategic roadmap seeks to achieve universal energy access by 2040 and to build a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy by 2050.
The capacity building workshop on Green and Sustainable Finance is part of a series of initiatives spearheaded by the ECA Offices in North and West Africa in support to Sierra Leone in strengthening fiscal resilience and mobilizing sustainable finance. By empowering stakeholders with the tools and insights to unlock climate finance, the initiatives contribute directly to the country’s long-term goals of sustainable development, energy security, and environmental stewardship.
ECA will continue its support to Sierra Leone with the provision of technical support and the organization of a workshop Domestic Debt Market development in July and September 2025.