KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 17

Nepal strongly supports implementation of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change, and the call to limit global warming to 1.5-degree Celsius, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.

Addressing the launch of Human Development Report-2020 yesterday, he said, “We Nepalis are followers of nature-friendly culture. Our culture and traditions have taught us to live in harmony with nature, which is the Nepali way of life. We consider rivers, mountains, trees, ponds and lakes as sacred places and abodes of deities.

We want to link this cultural value to the conservation of nature, protection of environment and mitigation of climate change impacts and adaptation to them.”

According to Minister Gyawali, Nepal is committed to the promotion of climate-resilient development and aims to move towards a zero-carbon economy. “We have prioritised producing clean and renewable energy as well as promoting e-mobility, low carbon infrastructure and eco-tourism. By 2030, Nepal aims to maintain 45 per cent of the country’s land under forest cover and aims to extend protected area from 23 per cent to 30 per cent to preserve biodiversity,” he stated.

“Nepal has already submitted its updated, more ambitious and progressive Nationally Determined Contribution-2020 to the international community. While implementing the NDC, Nepal remains committed to prioritising the issue of gender equality and social inclusion to ensure full, equal and meaningful participation of women, children, youth, indigenous and marginalised communities in all stages of the implementation process,” Gyawali added.

He also said that Nepal’s mountains were not only a source of fresh water for millions of people, but also served as climate stabiliser and helped maintain ecological balance in the oceans.

While easy and adequate access to climate finance becomes critical for us to achieve these ambitions, we are keen to join hands with all countries to march ahead for a more sustainable journey together.

With a view to contributing in our own way to the climate change agenda, we are committed to host the Sagarmatha Sambad when the COVID-19 situation becomes normal. Gyawali remarked.