The Nepal Weekly 
October 26, 2021The 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP26) is set to place from October 31 through November 12, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland ( in the United Kingdom).
A high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba from Nepal is leaving Kathmandu shsortly to attend the important global conclave. The Nepali delegation comprises the Minister for Forests and Environment Ramsahay Prasad Yadav and the Secretaries of various ministries, among other officials.
The Ministry of Forests and Environment has made necessary preparations for the country’s participation in the COP26 at the Head-of-Government level. It is the Liaison Ministry for COP26 for Nepal. The required preparations for the main conference as well as the side event and talks have reached the final stage, according to the Ministry sources.
Nepal has made preparations to strongly voice issues in the COP26 like the impact of climate change on the entire Himalayan economy, on its ecosystem as well as on the ecosystem of the downstream region.
Besides this, topics such as climate hazards, seeking resources for the implementation of the National Dedication Commitment (NDC) Report and Carbon financing would be Nepal’s priority during the COP26 meeting, informed secretary at the Ministry Prem Narayan Kandel.
The Ministry has already carried out works like preparing and presenting the required reports and documents including the long-term strategy, the report on climate-induced hazards and losses, the National Adaptation Plan, NDC, Third National Communication (TNC), the Technological Needs Assessment (TNS), Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy and its action plan, so as to support the implementation of Paris Agreement.
A plan has been brought for reducing the Green House Gas to zero in 2045 AD itself through the long-term strategy, informed Secretary Kandel. “We have already prepared the report on the financing required for reducing the climate-induced damages and losses and to adapt to it.”
Nepal would also be raising the topics as it has fared well in forest conservation increasing the area under forest to nearly 45 per cent and pursuing community-based conservation programmes, he pointed out. Likewise, Nepal will be pressing the developed countries to provide the amount that they have committed as compensation for carbon emission.
Secretary Kandel said Nepal would also emphasize facilitating the tools of financial assistance and having the government’s direct access to it.
According to Kandel, PM Deuba will head the Nepali delegation in the high-level session of the conference while he himself would be leading the technical sessions under the COP26. Apart from this, teams comprising experts have been formed on various themes which will be holding side-line talks.
Nepal has already tabled its NDC Synthesis Report alongside other countries which would help implement the roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emission to zero until 2050 as per the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Other goals of the agreement are to limit the world’s average temperature increment rate to 1.5 degrees Celsius and not exceeding 2.0 degrees Celsius. Nepal is on the list of countries that have been most affected by climate change. It has been raising this issue in the international forum.
Issues that would be prioritized in the Conference this time are climate change-induced disasters, said Dr Radha Wagle, chief of the Climate Change Management Division under the Ministry.
So far, head of the state/head of the government of more than 121 countries to be representing the Summit includes President of the United States, Joe Biden, Queen of the UK, Elizabeth II, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, President of France, Emmanuel Macron, President of South Korea Moon Jae-in. According to the schedule, PM Deuba will address the Summit on the second day.
