Nepal urges climate justice for Himalayas at COP31

Résumé détaillé

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal calls for a dedicated action plan for mountain regions and says limiting global warming to 1.5°C is critical to protecting the Himalayas.

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Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal calls for a dedicated action plan for mountain regions and says limiting global warming to 1.5°C is critical to protecting the Himalayas.

oreign Minister Shisir Khanal has urged the international community to ensure climate justice by addressing the growing risks facing the Himalayan region due to climate change, calling for stronger global commitments and concrete action to protect mountain ecosystems.

Addressing the opening plenary of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which began in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday, Khanal said the international community must demonstrate a firm commitment and ensure the effective implementation of measures to protect the Himalayas and minimise the impacts of climate change.

“Nepal has come here in search of climate justice. The 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature limit must be ensured for the Himalayas, and a dedicated action plan on mountains and climate change is necessary,” Khanal said.

Although Nepal contributes little to global greenhouse gas emissions, its Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. The Himalayan region sustains the lives and livelihoods of a large proportion of the world’s population, he said.

Highlighting Nepal’s efforts towards climate action, Khanal said nearly half of the country’s geographical area is covered by community-managed forests, the country is increasingly relying on hydropower for electricity generation, and more than 70 percent of newly purchased passenger vehicles are electric.

Khanal said Nepal, Bhutan and Kyrgyzstan had jointly pushed to include mountains and climate change as a formal agenda item at COP31, arguing that the Himalayan region deserved greater priority in international climate negotiations.

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