Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Sierra Leone

What percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions does Sierra Leone produce?

Sierra Leone produced 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 (the latest date with complete emissions data). This amounted to 6.87m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or MtCO₂e. These emissions represented an increase from 2020 by 12.5%.

In the period from 1990 to 2021 their emissions have increased by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6% and Sierra Leone has contributed 0.01% of global greenhouse emissions.

In 2021, Sierra Leone was the world’s 147th largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. The largest emitters in the same period were China, the United States, India, Russia and Brazil.

When looking at emissions over time Sierra Leone is the 149th largest emitter since 1990.

Emissions per capita in Sierra Leone – average household carbon footprint

The population of Sierra Leone is 8.14m. On a per capita basis, they produce 0.8 tonnes of CO2e per person, placing them 185th out of 191 on emissions produced per capita. The biggest per capita emitters are Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Turkmenistan.

What is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Sierra Leone?

Gases

15.9% of emissions in Sierra Leone came from Carbon Dioxide (CO2), 62.5% came from Methane (CH4), and 18.7% came from Nitrous Oxide (N2O).

Sectors

The sector that produced the most emissions in 2021 was the agriculture industry, producing 4.07m of GHG emissions, constituting 59.2% of total.

The second and third largest emitting sectors were land-use change and forestry and waste, producing 49% and 22.1% of total GHG in Sierra Leone.

Energy

The industry that produced the most energy related emissions was the transportation industry, producing 706k of GHG emissions, constituting 10.3% of total emissions.

The second and third largest emitting sectors were other fuel combustion and manufacturing/construction, emitting 364k and 31.6k tonnes of GHG each.

Land Use Change and Forestry

Land use change and forestry (LUCF), such as deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural or urban areas, can have a significant impact on carbon emissions.

• Trees and other vegetation absorb and store carbon through the process of photosynthesis, and when they are cut down or burned, that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.
• Deforestation and other forms of land use change can also reduce the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon in the future. Additionally, the conversion of land for agriculture or urban development can lead to the release of carbon stored in the soil.
• On the other hand, sustainable forestry practices, such as reforestation and afforestation, can help to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in trees and other vegetation.

In the case of Sierra Leone, LUCF had a negative impact on Sierra Leone’s emissions, increasing their carbon footprint by 3.36m tonnes.

After accounting for land use change and forestry, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions in Sierra Leone in 2021 was 10.2m metric tonnes.

How vulnerable is Sierra Leone to the impact of climate change?

The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Index

The ND-GAIN Index measures countries’ vulnerability to global challenges, including climate change, and their readiness to improve resilience.

Sierra Leone scores 37 on the ND-Gain Index and is classified in the ‘high vulnerability and low readiness’ category of climate change preparedness.

The index aims to assist businesses, governments, and communities in prioritising investments for a more efficient response to global shifts.

It is measured by combining two main components:

1. Vulnerability: This evaluates a country’s vulnerability to environmental risks and its ability to adapt. It considers health, food and water availability, infrastructure, and ecosystem services. A higher score indicates greater vulnerability to environmental challenges.
2. Readiness: This measures how well a country can leverage investments to mitigate climate change. It considers economic stability, governance, technology, and infrastructure. A higher score means a country is better prepared to implement resilience strategies.

This ranking helps identify areas where resources and adaptation strategies can be most effectively directed to mitigate risks and enhance resilience.

By combining these dimensions, the index provides a comprehensive approach to measuring countries’ ability to cope with the impacts of climate change.

High vulnerability and low readiness in Sierra Leone

In terms of readiness to adapt to climate change, Sierra Leone ranks in the bottom 25% group. Globally, the average readiness score is 0.424, with Sierra Leone posting a score of 0.301.

They show the greatest strength in governance aspects, while their performance in economic aspects requires improvement.

• Governance readiness refers to the political, legal, and regulatory aspects influencing a country’s adaptation to climate change, including stability, corruption control, and law enforcement.
• Economic readiness refers to the business environment and its capacity to adapt to climate change, emphasizing the importance of a supportive regulatory framework for adaptation initiatives.

Regarding vulnerability to climate change, Sierra Leone falls into the bottom 10% category. Compared to the global average vulnerability score of 0.431, Sierra Leone has a score of 0.561.

Their resilience is most notable in infrastructure areas, yet they face significant challenges in health.

• Infrastructure vulnerability refers to the weaknesses in the coastal protection, transportation, and energy systems, which are critical for building resilience against climate change. Coastal protection safeguards land and ports from rising sea levels and storms. Reliable transportation infrastructure is essential for corporate value chains and can be disrupted by extreme weather. Energy infrastructure resilience ensures a continuous supply of energy during natural disasters, maintaining economic stability.
• Health vulnerability refers to the impact of climate change on diseases and medical resources. Innovations can enhance resilience to vulnerabilities affecting human health through food, water insecurity, and extreme weather events.

The formula to calculate the ND-GAIN Index is

GAIN Index=(Readiness Indicators−Vulnerability Indicators+1)×50GAIN Index=(Readiness Indicators−Vulnerability Indicators+1)×50

In this formula:

• The Readiness Indicators are measured on a scale of 0 to 1, where a higher score means that the readiness is better.
• The Vulnerability Indicators are also measured on a scale of 0 to 1, but a lower score indicates better vulnerability in this case. 
• The difference between the Readiness and Vulnerability scores is calculated and then incremented by 1. 
• Finally, the result is multiplied by 50 to convert the GAIN Index score to a range of 0-100, where a higher score means the situation is better.

Is there a correlation between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth in Sierra Leone?

In 2021, the gross domestic product (GDP) in Sierra Leone grew by 4.6% from the previous year, with the economy moving from $4.06bn to $4.25bn. During the same period, carbon emissions increased by 12.5%. Over the ten-year period from 2011 to 2021, GDP grew 44.9%, while emissions increased by 35.8%.

To put this into context, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of GDP in Sierra Leone over the past ten years was 3.8%, and the CAGR for greenhouse gas emissions was 3.1%.