PM Prachanda voices for climate justice

 Kathmandu, Dec. 2

Nepal is bearing a direct, disproportionate, and damaging effect of climate change despite near-zero contribution to global emissions, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda said at the 28^th Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 28) being held in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

He is leading the Nepali delegation to the global summit on climate change.

“Due to an appalling injustice inflicted on us, our people are severely affected by climate-induced disasters such as landslides, floods, wildfires, glacier lake outbursts, drought, etc.,” he said, “This is an utter injustice. This must stop now.”

Stating that the Himalayas are the foundations of human civilizations, ecosystems, and biodiversity, PM Prachanda maintained that they are providing global services to the people and the planet and are the source of livelihood for billions of people downstream.

“Our message is clear: mountains are tortured by rising temperature. Save them first!” he said.

According to PM Prachanda he is deeply concerned about the findings of the recent IPCC report, which states climate-induced disasters breaking records in the Himalayas. Nepal has already lost one-third of our glaciers, and scientists have warned that we are going to lose another one-third by the end of this century.

This is a wake-up call to all of us, he stated.

Quoting UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres’ speech during his recent visit to Nepal – ‘Stop war against nature’- PM Prachanda stressed that it is indeed a war against nature as well as humanity.

“We are waging war with ourselves and future generations only to satisfy our short-sighted and self-serving interests. So, I stand here for climate justice for my innocent people who are sheer victims of this catastrophe,” said the Prime Minister of Nepal.

He informed the global leaders that Nepal has recently unveiled the National Adaptation Plan and NDC implementation guidelines with a clear roadmap and strategies, and that Nepal is fully committed to the Paris Agreement.

According to him, Nepal is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, five years earlier than the global target.

“We will fully utilize our hydropower potential to secure clean energy and maintain 45 per cent forest-covered land. However, our attempts to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation plans are facing serious financial and technological gaps,” he said.

 

‘Developed countries should fulfil their commitments’

PM Prachanda said that the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and are in desperate need of financial and technological support.

Speaking in the capacity of the chair of the LDCs, he urged the developed economies and international community for more predictable adequate, and equitable resources and technologies for LDCs since countries like Nepal are left behind to live on their fate.

According to him, developed countries’ pledges and actions do not correspond with each other, so they must raise their ambitions and fulfil their commitments urgently.

“They must scale up climate finance to make up for the US$100 billion shortfall and double the adaptation finance by 2025, and ensure fair financial arrangements without conditions, constraints, and compliances,” said PM Prachanda, “We demand grants as our justice to address this crisis.”

He also demanded that the loss and damage fund must be predictable, simplified, and adequate for LDCs and mountainous countries. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 3 December 2023.