KATHMANDU, October 30: Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Geeta Chaudhary has called for climate justice to move beyond the words of United Nations documents and be translated into action, stressing that countries most responsible for the climate crisis must fulfil their obligations.
Speaking at the National Climate Summit held in Kathmandu on Thursday, Chaudhary said climate justice was not charity but a right of countries suffering the consequences of climate change despite contributing little to global emissions.
“Climate justice must not remain merely a beautiful phrase in United Nations documents; it must be implemented in practice,” she said.
Referring to the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river areas of Rasuwa on August 26, she described the disaster as an example of climate injustice. Although Nepal contributes very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, the floods caused extensive damage to settlements, infrastructure and people's livelihoods, she said.
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“The people affected did not create the crisis, but they paid the price. This is where the question of climate justice begins,” she said.
Chaudhary said Nepal's domestic resources alone would not be sufficient to cover the damage and reconstruction costs, underscoring the need for international assistance. She expressed sympathy for the affected families and thanked security agencies, all three tiers of government, local communities, Nepalis living abroad, and national and international organisations involved in rescue and relief operations.
Highlighting the shared impacts of climate change on mountains and oceans, Chaudhary said mountainous and island nations must raise a common voice on the international stage. Nepal's position, she said, was that new and additional resources must be mobilised for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, and affected countries should receive grants rather than loans.
“The time for talking is over; now is the time to act,” she said. “Our demand is simple: delivery, not promises. Commitments must reach affected communities instead of remaining on paper.”
Nepal will prioritise climate justice, mountain-related issues, easier access to adaptation finance, and effective mobilisation of the loss and damage fund at the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, she said.
Chaudhary also stressed that climate adaptation programmes must begin at the local and community levels, requiring coordination among federal, provincial and local governments. She called for strengthening Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPA) and Community Adaptation Plans of Action (CAPA) to address the needs of communities most vulnerable to climate risks.
Describing the Himal-Sagarmatha Strategy, National Carbon Finance Handbook and Gender-Responsive Loss and Damage Assessment, unveiled at the summit, as tools for advancing climate justice, she said the concerns of women, children, young people, senior citizens, Indigenous peoples and marginalised communities must be placed at the centre of policymaking.
Chaudhary also announced that Nepal would push to establish mountain issues as a distinct agenda at COP31, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, in November. Nepal and Bhutan are preparing to submit a joint formal proposal on the issue, she said.
“Protecting the mountains is not only about protecting our own country; it is also about safeguarding the lives of billions of people in downstream coastal regions,” she said.
