Freetown and PI-CREF Team Up to Launch Sierra Leone’s First Municipal Carbon Credit Programme

Dr Kandeh K. Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), and Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr met to discuss the city’s innovative climate initiatives, including the #FreetownTheTreeTown program, which is set to become Sierra Leone’s first municipal carbon credit project.
Following recent talks between President Julius Maada Bio and Mayor Aki-Sawyerr regarding accelerating climate action and sustainable urban development nationwide, the delegation-level meeting took place. The Mayor gave Dr Yumkella an update on the Tree Town campaign’s accomplishments thus far, including the planting of about 1.2 million trees, the creation of over 3,000 green jobs, and widespread community mobilisation throughout Freetown and the surrounding catchment areas. By 2028, the initiative hopes to plant over 4 million trees, which could sequester more than 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and create thousands more green jobs for people living in cities and peri-urban areas.
Registration with the Verra Carbon Registry is an important aspect of the plan. Once accredited, the project is expected to be Sierra Leone’s first municipal carbon credit program and, according to stakeholders, the world’s first carbon-credit initiative led by a municipality. Dr Yumkella applauded the progress and described the program as being closely aligned with national climate and development goals. He emphasised its potential to attract climate finance, support ecosystem restoration, and boost livelihoods in vulnerable communities.
Additionally, PI-CREF pledged to work with pertinent institutions to address unresolved issues that might have an impact on accreditation and to support the project’s progress toward the September 2026 deadline. In addition to carbon credits and tree planting, the meeting looked at more extensive collaboration opportunities, such as clean cooking solutions, sustainable biomass management, integration into carbon markets, and the creation of a proposed National Climate Dashboard and Carbon Tracking Platform to enhance measurement and transparency.
Both the Freetown City Council and PI-CREF expressed a commitment to strengthening climate action, accelerating the implementation of urban resilience measures, and positioning Sierra Leone as a regional leader in carbon finance and climate-resilient development. The partnership’s goal is to translate municipal ambition into measurable climate outcomes and new economic opportunities for city residents.