Forest ministry begins preparations for COP-29

Kathmandu / Sept 3: The Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE) has started preparations for the COP-29 to be held in Baku of Azerbaijan from November 11 to November 22 this year.

The Ministry on Monday discussed the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference’s agendas with various intergovernmental ministries, experts, journalists, non-governmental agencies and other stakeholders.

Representatives from 198 Parties (countries) that have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are convening for the 29th climate conference to discuss climate agendas and chart out measures for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Towards this, the ministry said that it has prepared a draft roadmap of the climate conference. As Nepal is also one of the signatory parties of the Paris Agreement, Nepal is expected to submit its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) by February, 2025 as per the decisions of the COP-28.

Minister for Forest and Environment, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, shared that agendas for the upcoming COP-29 will be set through consensus among the stakeholders.

“We will highlight climate change-induced natural disasters such as floods and landslides facing Nepal at the upcoming COP-29,” pledged Minister Thakuri, assuring to pressurize the signatory parties to implement the Paris Agreement in the international forum of COP-29.

He emphasized that cooperation from development partners was inevitable for the implementation of the goals of climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Similarly, Minister of State for Health and Population, Rupa BK, underscored coordinated climate actions to address climate change and problems emanating from it.

Likewise, Secretary at the MoFE, Dr Govinda Sharma explained that Nepal needs to increase its access to the Climate Loss and Damage Fund, a fund established to support vulnerable countries like Nepal dealing with the effects of climate change. Stating that Nepal should formulate plans to benefit from carbon trade, he underscored coordination among intergovernmental agencies, three-tier government and the stakeholders to reduce the negative impact of climate change.

Secretaries of various ministries called for reviewing climate conferences held in the past so as to set agendas for the upcoming climate conference. They also pressed for effective implementation of the climate change related policies and programs.

Nepal will prioritize climate finance as one of the key agendas at COP-29, said Dr Buddhi Sagar Poudel, who heads the Climate Change Management Division under the Ministry of Forest and Environment.