BAKU, Nov 13: President Ram Chandra Paudel has been in Baku, Azerbaijan, since Monday, leading a high-level delegation to the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The conference began on Monday and will end on November 22.
The Conference is expected to focus on key issues, including the challenges faced by mountain regions and efforts to establish consensus among developing countries on increasing climate finance. It is also expected to provide a positive outlook on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, support the creation of a global carbon market, and ensure financial management for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Nepal is preparing to highlight the impacts of climate change in mountain regions, advocating for solutions to minimize these effects and protect vulnerable areas.
President Paudel has pledged to push for the conservation of mountains and the Earth during the COP29 discussions. According to his Secretariat, the President is set to address a gathering of heads of state, government leaders, and senior officials from over 192 countries. He will present examples of the increasing impact of climate change in Nepal's mountainous regions.
Dr. Prameshwor Pokhrel, Forests and Environment Advisor to the President, hopes that COP29 will successfully draw global attention to the effects of climate change and establish a clear roadmap for addressing these challenges.
Civil society calls for inclusive climate action ahead of COP29
Nepal plans to present case studies of unseasonal disasters, including the Thame avalanche and other climate-related events, as part of its advocacy efforts at COP29, according to Dr. Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, Chief of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forest and Environment.
"Our focus will be on raising global awareness about the need to increase access to climate finance," said Dr. Dhungana.
Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Dr Krishnahari Puskar, said that despite Nepal's minimal role in carbon emissions, several nations, including Nepal, are suffering from the adverse consequences of climate change. "We call on COP29 to ensure easier access to climate finance and climate justice for Nepal and countries in similar circumstances," Dr. Puskar stated.
Climatologist Manjeet Dhakal said the need of immediately implementing works on mitigating climate change impacts has become more pressing due to the climate change-induced disasters like the devastating flood and landslides that have wrecked Nepal, expecting that extensive discussions would be held on this topic during the COP29.
"Nepal has strongly called for adopting in the COP-29 the newly determined climate financing goals. It has raised the need for an explicit guideline to cap the global temperature rise below 1.5 degree Celsius," he said, adding that Nepal is actively participating in the debates related to the priorities of the mountainous countries.
Preparations are being made to demand special discussions on behalf of Nepal, with the objective of addressing the climate change consequences seen in the mountainous region. Climate management expert Dr Dharma Raj Uprety has stressed on mobilization of climate funds based on climate justice.
Nepal's six main agendas
The team of Nepali representatives are participating in COP29, prioritizing the six main agendas for minimizing the climate change-induced risks in the country's overall interest.
According to the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal has prepared six thematic working papers on climate finance, reduction of climate change-caused loss and damage, carbon trade, emission measurement, mountain issues, technology and capacity enhancement, climate change adaptation and inclusion.
"We have already prepared the National Situation Paper of Nepal and brought it to the COP. It includes the National Concept Paper and topics as climate adaptation, climate finance, agriculture and food systems, health and climate change, energy transition, efficiency, water and climate related activities and nature for climate, among others," said Dr Buddhi Poudel, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
The Ministry stated that preparations are being made to exert pressure on behalf of Nepal for the effective implementation of the climate change-related loss and damage fund set up during the COP-28 held last year in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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