Climate finance, mountain region top priorities for Nepal at COP29

KATHMANDU: Nepal has finalised its agenda for the annual World Climate Conference, COP29, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22. President Ramchandra Paudel is scheduled to attend the UN climate conference.

Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, Chief of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), informed that Nepal's agenda for COP29 includes loss and damage, mountain region, and climate finance. These priorities are highlighted in the national status paper after gathering suggestions from various groups focused on carbon trade, climate finance, mitigation, adaptation, capacity building, gender equality, transparency, and good governance.

A high-level session will be held under the chairmanship of President Paudel on November 13 to draw global attention to climate change impacts in Nepal. Nepal has received permission from the UNFCCC to hold a separate session during the major event, which will feature discussions on addressing loss and damage in mountain regions. The session is expected to be attended by UN officials, representatives from mountainous countries, and development partners. The pressing issues Nepal faces, including in Melamchi, Mustang, Kanchanpur, Thame, and the Kathmandu Valley, will be shared on this occasion.

Dhungana further informed that the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) would hold group discussions on November 5-6, while G77+ China will meet on November 9-10, with Nepal participating in both events.

Bimal Regmi, a member of the Environment Conservation and Climate Change Management Council, emphasised that Nepal should raise issues of national interest, particularly those concerning the Himalayas.

As a party to the UNFCCC, Nepal has continuously attended COP conferences, prepared national adaptation plans, shared climate ambitions, and reminded industrialised countries of the urgency of climate change in LDCs and resource-limited nations.

MoFE Secretary Deepak Kumar Kharal noted that COP29 will be significant for Nepal, with 'climate finance' and 'carbon credit' as major agenda items.