Nepal is all set to put forth the issues of protection of the Himalayas along with climate finance, carbon trade, climate adaptation and minimization and climate change-triggered losses in the COP-30 scheduled for November 10 to 21 in Belem, Brazil.

According to the Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE), Nepal has started discussion with stakeholders regarding the concerns the country will raise in the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference COP 30. The Himalayan country will be forwarding mainly the agendas accorded in the Sagarmatha Dialogue organized in May, 2025.

Minister for Forests and Environment Aain Bahadur Shahi informed that the MoFE has started preparation by devising an official workplan to express the country’s stance in the conference.

Despite its low contribution to environmental depletion, Nepal is among the countries at high risk due to global climate change. Minister Shahi said that the effects of climate change are particularly visible in the Himalayan region, such as the melting and eruption of glaciers, landslides and droughts in the hilly region along with frequent floods in the Terai/Madhes region. Mainly the poor, small farmers, marginalized indigenous people, women, children, the disabled, and senior citizens living in almost all the land terrains of the country have been largely affected.

The Sagarmatha Dialogue concluded with a 25-point 'Sagarmatha Call to Action.' The summit called for the urgent need to strengthen partnerships and prevent the global average temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to ensure a sustainable future.

The dialogue recognized the need to promote green, resilient, and inclusive development across rural and urban communities, from small to large-scale infrastructure. It emphasized clean energy, energy efficiency, and equitable energy access, and highlighted the importance of powering the future through clean energy along with green, circular, and bio-economies.

“We have expedited our preparation for high-level participation in National Environment and Climate Change Council meeting, COP conference preparatory meeting, National Climate Change Council meeting, discussions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and the UN Secretary-General's high-level participation on climate action,” said Maheshwor Dhakal, joint-secretary of the MoFE. “In addition, we will be forming a new negotiating group while preparing them for the high-level summit, providing necessary training, assigning roles to nominated representatives, developing a code of conduct to participate in COP-30, and establishing a virtual monitoring and coordination mechanism for the mega conference.”

As of now, Nepal has participated in five conferences at the head of state and head of the government level. The 15th conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009 was attended by the then Prime Minister Madhav Nepal, the 24th conference held in Poland in 2018 by the then President Bidya Devi Bhandari, the 27th conference held in Scotland, United Kingdom in 2021 by the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the 28th conference held in Dubai, UAE in 2023 by the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the COP-29 conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan last year was attended by the President Ram Chandra Poudel.