Kathmandu – At the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP-30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Nepal called for collective cooperation, climate justice, and a sustainable future.
At the conference underway in Belém, Brazil, Nepal also emphasized the responsibility of all nations to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) reports, fulfill obligations arising from the convention, and respect the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on climate justice.
Addressing the ministerial session held on Sunday, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr. Madan Prasad Pariyar said that developed nations must fulfill their past commitments regarding climate finance. He stressed that to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, all parties—including emerging economies—must engage constructively. This was shared by Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Chief of the Climate Change Management Division and Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
In this context, Minister Pariyar recalled the Sagarmatha Dialogue held in Kathmandu last Jestha and highlighted the need to promptly include a mountain-related agenda in the UNFCCC process.
Leading Nepal’s delegation to the conference, which began on November 10 and will run until the 21st, he reiterated Nepal’s commitment to climate justice.
Presentation of the Roadmap for Zero Carbon Emissions
Highlighting Nepal’s major climate challenges—such as rapid glacier melt, droughts, unusual floods, and impacts on agriculture—he informed participants about Nepal’s ambitious third NDC, which outlines a roadmap for achieving zero carbon emissions by 2045. “As one of the countries closest to nature in the world, our forest area has now reached more than 46 percent,” he noted.
During the conference, Minister Pariyar participated in various programs and remained actively engaged at bilateral and multilateral levels. At an event organized by the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, he shared Nepal’s plans to expand clean energy practices, including increasing the use of electric vehicles and electric cookstoves.
Similarly, Minister Pariyar took part in the ministerial meeting of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where the leadership of the LDC Group on climate change was handed over. He praised Malawi’s contribution to advancing the group’s priorities and expressed Nepal’s solidarity and support for Timor-Leste’s new chairmanship.
He also joined a meeting with ministers from member countries of the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), where he reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment—as a founding member—to advancing the alliance’s goals.
In bilateral discussions on Sunday, he met with Ibrahim Cheikh Diong, Executive Director of the Hanninoksani Fund. According to the Ministry of Forests, both sides exchanged views on accessing funding for suitable national projects in Nepal.
From Sagarmatha to Belém: Promoting Climate Action Campaign
The Nepali Embassy in Brazil stated that Minister Pariyar is scheduled to meet on Monday with Bhupender Yadav, India’s Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
Joint Secretary Dhakal said that Nepal will host a side event titled “From Sagarmatha to Belém: Promoting Climate Action Campaign,” aimed at reviewing progress since the launch of the “Sagarmatha Call for Action” and developing strategies to strengthen the mountain agenda within the UNFCCC process. Ministers and senior officials from mountainous countries, as well as United Nations representatives, are expected to participate.
On the eve of the conference, during the Leader Summit held on the 20th and 21st of Kartik, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra delivered a statement on behalf of Nepal, calling for global cooperation, climate justice, and immediate action for a sustainable future.
Secretary Mishra highlighted that Nepal has always prioritized nature-friendly systems and environmental conservation, noting the country’s rapid transition toward electric vehicles and clean energy while phasing out fossil fuels. He pointed out that although Nepal’s carbon emissions are extremely low, the country suffers significantly from the impacts of climate change due to rising global temperatures.
He added that while the Paris Agreement has begun to yield results, the pace and scale remain insufficient. He stressed that access to finance and technology continues to be complex and costly for vulnerable countries and must be made simpler and more accessible.
Efforts to Establish a ‘Mountain Agenda’
The Ministry of Forests stated that at COP-30, Nepal is making efforts across various platforms to include a mountain-related agenda in the UNFCCC process, based on the conclusions of the Sagarmatha Dialogue.
Additionally, Joint Secretary Dhakal noted that Nepal is presenting its agenda centered on climate-induced loss and damage, adaptation, mitigation, carbon finance, and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
He said Nepal is actively participating in sessions focused on climate finance, the transparency framework, mountains, capacity building, technology transfer, and climate justice.
Due to changing climatic conditions, Nepal has recently witnessed significant shifts in the nature, volume, and timing of monsoon rainfall. These shifts have triggered climate-induced hazards and disasters, causing major losses and damages.
This year alone, more than 300 Nepalis lost their lives due to floods, landslides, droughts, glacial lake outburst events, and forest fires, with losses amounting to billions.
Minister Dr. Pariyar arrived in Belém on November 15. He was welcomed by Nepali Ambassador to Brazil Nirmal Raj Kafle and other senior officials participating in COP-30. He is scheduled to return to Nepal on November 19.
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