NEW YORK, Sept 23: Sambridhi Gyawali, an executive at a leading Nepali media house and a climate and clean-energy advocate, has called on Nepal to broaden its international climate agenda by linking its pursuit of climate justice with its potential to become a clean-energy partner for South Asia.
Participating in discussions and events at Climate Week NYC, Gyawali said Nepal should move beyond a narrative centered primarily on climate vulnerability, loss and damage, and melting glaciers, and highlight its potential contribution to the region's energy transition.
“Nepal cannot remain known only as the country whose glaciers are melting and whose communities are suffering from climate change. We need to tell a bigger story—one that presents Nepal not only as a country seeking climate justice, but also as a country capable of helping fuel the Global South's future through sustainable energy,” she said.
Gyawali, who is associated with Nepal Republic Media Limited, said discussions in New York underscored growing global competition for energy, technology, critical minerals and infrastructure alongside efforts to address climate change.
She cited the debate over deep-sea mining as an example. The Metals Company USA has applications before the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for seabed-mineral exploration and commercial recovery. According to NOAA records, the applications are under review, with public comments open through October 19 and a virtual hearing scheduled for October 13. NOAA currently lists no US commercial recovery permits as having been issued.
‘Media is not just a business, but also a public service’
“The global economy is increasingly shaped by competition for energy and resources. Nepal's climate strategy therefore needs to connect climate diplomacy with economic diplomacy,” Gyawali said.
She said Nepal should link the protection of the Himalayas with its clean-energy potential, particularly hydropower, while investing in transmission, storage, regional interconnections and climate-resilient infrastructure.
From vulnerability to opportunity
Gyawali said Nepal should increasingly present itself as a contributor to South Asia's energy transition.
With electricity demand expected to grow alongside data centers, artificial intelligence, electrification and other emerging technologies, she said Nepal should position its renewable-energy resources as part of the region's future energy system. “The question for Nepal cannot only be who will compensate us for the damage climate change is causing. We must also ask what Nepal can contribute to the transition—and how that contribution can create economic opportunities for our people,” she said.
She said becoming a reliable clean-energy supplier would require more than expanding generation capacity, with investment also needed in transmission, storage, cross-border interconnections and climate-resilient infrastructure.
Gyawali also referred to discussions on the infrastructure requirements and costs of the clean-energy transition, including remarks by UK Minister of State for Climate Transition Katie White.
Climate justice and economic opportunity
Gyawali said Nepal should continue advocating for climate finance, technology transfer, adaptation support and recognition of loss and damage while also pursuing opportunities to strengthen its economy.
“Climate justice for Nepal cannot only mean compensation for loss and damage. It must also mean access to finance, technology, resilient infrastructure and markets that allow Nepal to turn its clean-energy potential into economic opportunity,” she said.
During Climate Week, Gyawali also engaged with environmental activists Jane Fonda and Erin Brockovich on Nepal and the climate challenges facing the Himalayas. She said such international engagement should translate into investment, partnerships and institutional action.
Gyawali said Nepal should take its climate agenda beyond traditional climate forums and engage more actively in discussions on energy, finance, technology, minerals and regional development. “The Himalayas are not only a region at risk—they are central to South Asia's water, energy and ecological future,” she said.
She added that Nepal's hydropower and renewable-energy potential could enable it to play a larger role in the region's transition to cleaner energy, provided the country develops the infrastructure and resilience needed to deliver reliable and affordable electricity. “Nepal should be part of the conversation not only because our glaciers are melting, but because our clean energy can help power the future of the region,” Gyawali said.
