President Julius Maada Bio Opens Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CRET) 2025
His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has officially opened the Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CRET) 2025, welcoming distinguished guests, policymakers, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society representatives to the Freetown International Conference Centre under the theme:
“Mobilising Investments for Climate Action, Food Security, Clean Cooking and Just Energy Transition for All.”
In his keynote address, President Bio reflected on the achievements of the 2023 and 2024 editions of the dialogue, noting that CRET continues to reaffirm Sierra Leone’s strong commitment to inclusive, evidence-based discussions on climate action, energy security, and food systems transformation. He underscored that the platform has evolved into a credible forum attracting global, regional, and national experts, including key actors from government, business, and civil society, to shape the country’s pathway toward sustainable growth.
Recalling Sierra Leone’s participation in the 2024 OPEC Fund Investment Roundtable, President Bio highlighted that the event positioned Sierra Leone as a rising destination for green investment. These engagements, he said, culminated in a US$260 million funding package from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), which includes a US$200,000 grant for the establishment of a Climate Finance and Energy Innovation Hub.
The funding, formalized through a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) agreement, will support critical sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and water resource management — aligning with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Today, CRET 2025 consolidates these developments and institutional gains to operationalize our Just Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan, mobilizing national and international stakeholders to accelerate Sierra Leone’s energy transformation,” President Bio stated.
A key highlight of this year’s dialogue is Mission 300, an ambitious Africa-led initiative that aims to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030. Under this framework, Sierra Leone seeks to expand electricity access from 36 percent to nearly 78 percent, adding at least 720,000 new household connections through a mix of grid expansion, off-grid solar solutions, and mini-grid renewable systems.
“Energy transition in Sierra Leone is not an abstract concept—it is a practical, deliberate, systematic, and people-centered process,” President Bio emphasized. “We remain committed to reforming energy governance, improving transparency, reducing losses in distribution and transmission, and ensuring that no one is left behind.”
Convened under the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF), and co-organized with relevant ministries, development partners, and private sector actors, CRET 2025 brings together around 500 participants from government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and international institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNDP, GIZ, and IOM.
Over the course of two days, the dialogue will feature plenary and parallel sessions exploring priority themes including:
- Mission 300 and regional power integration
- Energy utility reforms and renewable energy investment
- Clean cooking technologies and climate finance mechanisms
- Off-grid electrification and private sector participation
- Youth-led agribusiness and innovation for food security
According to President Bio, CRET 2025 serves as both a policy and investment forum aimed at advancing Sierra Leone’s climate and energy agenda:
“This dialogue will generate actionable knowledge, unlock private sector investment opportunities, and map the way forward for a credible carbon trading system—while sustaining our commitment to the Feed Salone Initiative and accelerating the country’s just energy transition,” he said.
Several landmark initiatives will be launched during the event, including:
- The Mission 300 Sierra Leone Compact
- The National Clean Cooking Strategy
- The ECOWAS LPG 20/20 Programme
- The OPEC Fund Country Partnership Framework (CPF) Agreement
- The Climate Finance and Energy Innovation Hub
- The Multi-Year Tariff Order Tool
- The Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (SLEWRC) Mini-Grid Regulations 2025
- The SLEWRC Act 2025
- The Salone Off-Grid Renewable Energy Acceleration Project (SOGREA)
These initiatives collectively reflect Sierra Leone’s determination to build a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive green economy, powered by renewable energy and anchored in strong institutional reforms.
The Climate Resilience and Energy Transition Dialogue (CRET), now in its third edition, continues to strengthen Sierra Leone’s leadership role in Africa’s climate and energy transformation discourse. By focusing on climate-smart investments, clean cooking solutions, and equitable access to energy, Sierra Leone demonstrates that sustainable development and climate resilience are achievable through innovation, partnerships, and good governance.
As President Bio concluded: “Sierra Leone is ready—not just to participate in the global green transition, but to lead a model of inclusive and accountable energy transformation for Africa.”
