KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 25

As world leaders prepare to gather for COP30, communities across the Global South have united under the rallying call to "Make Climate Polluters Pay," demanding accountability from fossil fuel giants and wealthy nations for the escalating climate crisis.

The campaign, led by civil society networks including Greenpeace International, urges action on Loss and Damage, climate finance, and protection for vulnerable communities already facing catastrophic impacts. The message comes as 2024 marked the first year global temperatures surpassed the 1.5°C threshold, signaling the reality of climate breakdown.

In Odisha, India, activists will stage a symbolic action in early November, unveiling a giant "climate bill" printed on saree fabric - representing the financial and human costs borne by frontline communities. According to expert analysis by Prof. James Rising (University of Delaware) and Dr. Lisa Rennels (Stanford University), economic damages from CO₂ emissions by five major oil and gas corporations between 2016 and 2025 are projected to exceed US$5 trillion.

Nepal's growing climate toll

Nepal's warming trend, a +0.7°C rise above baseline by 2023, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), has amplified floods, landslides, droughts, and glacial melt. The country's Himalayan glaciers are melting 65% faster than a decade ago, threatening water sources for millions.

Over the past decade, Nepal has endured repeated disasters:

• 2017 Terai floods affected 1.7 million people, causing losses of USD 584 million (≈2% of GDP).
• 2021 Melamchi flash flood destroyed major infrastructure projects.
• 2024 monsoon floods killed over 100 people and displaced thousands across 11 districts, with damages estimated at NPR 46.68 billion (~USD 350 million).
• Annual climate-related losses are now estimated at USD 270 million, with floods accounting for nearly 60% of the total, according to the World Bank.
• Agriculture, employing 65% of Nepal's population, is under mounting threat from erratic monsoons, droughts, and soil erosion. Meanwhile, rising heat and unplanned urbanization have triggered urban flash floods and vector-borne diseases in major cities.

"The Global South is paying the price for a crisis it did not create," the campaign notes, urging governments to ensure that major emitters bear the financial responsibility for the devastation linked to their carbon output.

With disasters intensifying across South Asia, from floods to glacier collapse, the call to "Make Climate Polluters Pay" is set to become a defining voice at COP30.