Nepal has initiated preparations for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled to take place in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21. The summit will center on pressing issues such as phasing out fossil fuel consumption, protecting forests, oceans and biodiversity, transforming agriculture and food systems, advancing human development, and strengthening technology and capacity-building.
Nepal plans to highlight the “Sagarmatha Call for Action” adopted during the Sagarmatha Dialogue in June, with a particular emphasis on mountain conservation. On Friday, the Ministry of Forests and Environment convened a meeting with the Brazilian ambassador to Nepal, government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to launch the preparatory process.
Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri said the ministry has drawn up an action plan, building on past experiences to ensure stronger participation this year. “We will attend the conference as a coordinated team with the voices of all stakeholders. Nepal will strongly raise issues such as climate finance, carbon trading, adaptation and loss and damage,” he said. He also noted that the distant and underdeveloped host city could make the stay more costly for participants.
Nepal, among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, is facing severe impacts across different regions. Minister Shahi pointed out that glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, landslides and droughts in the hills, and floods in the Tarai-Madhes are becoming increasingly common. Marginalized groups including small farmers, women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities remain the hardest hit.
According to Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, joint secretary at the Climate Change Management Division, Nepal’s preparations include setting up a pavilion and side events, drafting a national concept paper, finalizing delegation guidelines, coordinating with ministries and Nepal’s Permanent Mission in New York, and following up on the Sagarmatha Call for Action. He added that Nepal will also organize preparatory meetings, finalize negotiation strategies, train delegates, and establish monitoring and coordination mechanisms for the conference.
Despite the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, studies suggest the Himalayan region may experience an average increase of 1.8 degrees Celsius before 2050, leading to the loss of up to two-thirds of its ice reserves.
Sanot Adhikari, chair of the Youth Alliance for Environment, urged Nepal to raise issues concerning youth participation, access to climate finance including the Green Climate Fund and Loss and Damage Fund, as well as carbon trading, adaptation and mitigation. He also encouraged the government to present Nepal’s good practices in climate action alongside the Sagarmatha Call for Action.
Nepal is preparing for high-level representation at COP30, likely to be led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The country has previously taken part at the head-of-state or head-of-government level in five COP summits, including Copenhagen in 2009, Katowice in 2018, Glasgow in 2021, Dubai in 2023, and Baku in 2024. Observers say such participation signals the seriousness with which a country views the process and strengthens its influence on decision-making.
Scientific studies warn that the Himalayan region’s temperature rise will outpace the global average by 0.3 to 0.7 degrees Celsius. In Nepal, shifting monsoon patterns in timing and intensity have already brought climate-induced disasters, leaving the population to grapple with multifaceted risks.
