The 30th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP30) is set to convene in Brazil this November. Six months ahead of COP30, Nepal is going to organise Sagarmatha Sambaad (the Mt Everest dialogue), a flagship international discussion platform of the Government of Nepal. These forums aim to address the widespread impact of global warming while calling for an enhanced level of commitment and cooperation.

Nepal has played a crucial role in conserving the planet’s ecology through active engagements in international forums or leading by example. Targets such as net-zero greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by 2045, 90 percent of privately owned vehicles sales to be electric by 2030, and 45 percent of the land to be covered by forests by 2030 elevate Nepal to the rank of few countries with ambitious climate targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

Recent developments show a diverse role Nepal has been playing in the international arena to combat the adverse effects of climate change. For example, the country’s plea for climate justice before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December last year received wider global attention. During the ICJ’s public hearing on the ‘Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change’, Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba signalled global warming as a serious threat to the country’s Himalayan ecosystem. Similarly, a live message by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres from Nepal’s Himalayas in 2023 hinted towards the country’s climate vulnerabilities, mainly in the mountain regions. Nepal’s nomination to the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage is yet another recognition to its credit.

At COP30, Nepal will have the opportunity to renew its commitment and widen its engagement in climate action. Equally important is the fact that Nepal—together with like-minded countries from the Global South—continues to face resource and capacity gaps to fulfil these commitments. The conference will provide a renewed opportunity to emphasise the much-discussed topic of climate finance. While there has been considerable progress in establishing the long-awaited Loss and Damage Fund at COP29, we must ensure that Least Developed Countries (LDCs) adequately benefit from the fund. LDCs are among the most vulnerable during climate outbreaks, with a mere 3.3 percent of global GHG emissions.

Nepal can join forces at COP30 and in the lead-up to it to support the meaningful operationalisation of the fund. As a long-time advocate of climate justice, Nepal has strongly called for technology transfer and capacity-building measures that cater to the specific needs of vulnerable countries. Nepal’s thoughtful approach engages other vulnerable groups, such as Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in deliberations and benefits-sharing initiatives.

Despite negligible carbon emissions, Nepal and other vulnerable countries in the Global South continue to suffer the consequences of global warming. Nepal is not on track to meet climate goals. Current policies and pledges indicate a trajectory of warming by 2.4 degrees Celsius to 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, which would have catastrophic repercussions for the world, especially vulnerable countries. Nepal’s decisive role will go a long way in reversing this worsening trend.

A dialogue to enrich COP30 discussions

Sagarmatha Sambaad, with the theme “Climate Change, Mountains and Future of Humanity,” is set to enrich COP30 discussions held under broader categories. During the Sambaad, leaders and experts worldwide will discuss current and future crises created by climate change and the necessity of climate justice. The future of humanity, as the underlying theme, provides purpose to the discussion.

Participants will focus on the mountain agenda in their deliberations. Mountains have been a lower priority in sustainable development debates. However, they are highly prone to climate outbreaks, resulting in biodiversity loss, natural disasters and snow melting in high-altitude regions like the Himalayas. Glaciers lose ice at a rate of 0.3 to 1 metre per year.

This does not imply that ecosystems other than mountains are no less important in sustainable development. Nepal has long advocated for sustainable mountain development vis-à-vis broader sustainability contexts. There should be integrated strategies connecting mountain and ocean ecosystems, as stressed by Nepal in various forums.

Discussion panels under Sagarmatha Sambaad will best serve their purpose if all stakeholders are engaged, including industrialised countries, donor agencies and vulnerable nations. It is equally critical to ensure effective inter-agency coordination—a tact often felt short of in the country’s management of large-scale events. To enrich climate discussions at Sambaad, organisers must bring experts, scientists and the media on board and leaders and diplomats, given the political nature of climate negotiations.

These discussions are set to inform relevant COP30 panels. Many of the participants in Nepal will also attend COP30 in Brazil. Those participating in Nepal in person get a first-hand experience on the impacts of climate change on the mountains. Along with the takeaways distilled from discussions in Sagarmatha Sambaad, the participants will also bring with them fresh perspectives from Nepal to the COP30 platform.

Brazil, the host of COP30, has advanced various sustainability agendas, including a trilateral alliance involving Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to protect tropical forests. Both Nepal and Brazil face disproportionate effects of climate breakdown, such as floods and landslides. These countries have significantly contributed to save the planet as carbon sinks—either through the vast Amazon forests or the snow-filled Himalayas. They have worked together in the UN and other forums on various sustainability agendas.

A must-win battle

In COP30, State Parties will be expected to submit even more ambitious NDCs, aligning with the 1.5 degrees Celsius pathway. Measures such as emissions cuts and stronger adaptation will require scaled-up climate finance, a pledge that remains too little, too late on the part of industrial nations.

As stressed by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the Summit of the Future during the UN General Assembly in September last year, there is frustration over climate injustice and LDCs face severe challenges, including unmet climate financing commitments. Climate finance must remain high on agenda in view of the widening gap between the size of problems and available resources. For instance, the sum of $300 billion a year by 2035 in climate finance as agreed in COP29 is too small to address them.

In order to make climate justice a reality, principles of equity and the notion of ‘the polluter pays’ should remain at the core. The Loss and Damage Fund should be fully operational to address the climate impacts. Alongside these measures, nature-based solutions, such as reforestation and ecosystem restoration, should be integrated into climate action plans, in both developing and industrial countries.

As the host of Sagarmatha Sambaad, there is an opportunity for Nepal to highlight these issues in the spirit of climate justice, reiterating them in the COP30. Climate justice is a must-win battle for the vulnerable nations that bear the severest brunt of climate change, despite little contribution.The 30th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP30) is set to convene in Brazil this November. Six months ahead of COP30, Nepal is going to organise Sagarmatha Sambaad (the Mt Everest dialogue), a flagship international discussion platform of the Government of Nepal. These forums aim to address the widespread impact of global warming while calling for an enhanced level of commitment and cooperation.