Kathmandu, November 11

Stakeholders have demanded that the government provide clean and sustainable energy for all. While discussing on the topic ‘Energy that transforms — the Road to 2030’ here in the Capital today, the stakeholders have highlighted current status of country’s climate change policy and also the status of energy access.

Speaking at the discussion programme, Ram Prasad Dhital, member of Nepal Electricity Regulatory Commission, said that the government is committed to strengthening and supporting people to ensure clean energy for everybody.

He further said that the commission is committed to formulating necessary laws and pushing the government entities to enforce clean energy access. “We have just 10 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of universal energy access. Despite some progress, some obstacles still remain.”

Achyut Luitel, country director of Practical Action Nepal, said that the government has been trying to provide affordable clean energy largely through grid extension programmes, but the quality of service has often not been good and the poor have not been able to access it in a desired manner.

He suggested the government to formulate an integrated plan and action for grid and off-grid electricity, by laying more emphasis on providing clean energy for cooking purposes too.

“We have suggested the government to address such issues through a holistic approach and address the demand side and not just the supply side of clean energy,” Luitel said. “We have also asked the government to support multi-stakeholder processes, embrace inclusivity and increase public funding for clean energy programmes.”

On May 25, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barsha Man Pun, had made a statement while addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) programme that the government is achieving significant progress in areas of developing and mainstreaming hydropower as well as renewable energy projects to reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels by replacing them with clean sources of energy.