Nepal to present Karnali Declaration at COP29 in Azerbaijan

KATHMANDU: Minister for Forests and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi, has announced that Nepal will present the Karnali Declaration on climate justice at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference 2024, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, next month. During a pre-COP29 orientation organised by the Climate Change Management Division in Chandragiri, Minister Shahi assured participants of Nepal's effective participation in COP29. The three-day event began on Wednesday.

Minister Shahi emphasised that the session on Climate Finance, scheduled to be held during the conference, is crucial for Nepal, as it is challenging for developing countries like Nepal to address the climate change crisis without adequate financial support. A workshop on climate change, as preparation for COP29, was collaboratively organised by the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE) and the organisation Sath Sathai in Karnali on October 19-20. The gathering, which included several climate experts and people's representatives from all districts in Karnali Province, concluded by issuing the five-point Karnali Declaration. The Minister stated that the declaration will be significant for COP29.

"We should focus on limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees," Minister Shahi said, adding that the world should prioritise the promotion of clean and durable energy resources and the reduction of carbon emissions to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). During the Karnali workshop, local representatives had highlighted agricultural loss, depletion of water resources, and the reduction in snowfall as perceived consequences of climate change in the region, according to Minister Shahi.

State Minister for Forests and Environment, Rupa BK, stressed that Nepal should assertively voice its concerns at the conference, advocating for developed nations to provide financial and technical support to help developing countries implement climate-friendly initiatives. 

MoFE Secretary Deepak Kumar Kharal, along with representatives from various organisations, will attend the upcoming event in Baku.

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