New Delhi: Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri emphasized Nepal’s role as a representative for countries impacted by climate change during his address at the World Sustainable Development Summit 2025 in New Delhi, India. Minister Shahi highlighted the severe impacts of climate change on Nepal, underscoring the urgent need for climate financing to support highly-vulnerable mountainous and least developed countries.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister Shahi stressed the critical challenges Nepal faces due to climate change, such as accelerated glacial melt, erratic monsoons, and increasing natural disasters. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal is disproportionately affected, bearing significant climate-related burdens.
Minister Shahi called for urgent international cooperation, climate finance, and technology transfer to protect Nepal’s mountains, biodiversity, and vulnerable communities. He further elaborated on the serious crises facing Nepal’s ecosystem, economy, and social lives due to climate change impacts, highlighting the rapid melting of glaciers that threaten water supplies and energy security in the South Asian region.
Additionally, Minister Shahi revealed that Nepal suffered nearly $1 billion in losses from climate-induced disasters between 2021 and 2024, jeopardizing future generations and sustainable development goals. He announced Nepal’s final preparations for its nationally determined contributions (NDC-3), aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045.
The World Sustainable Development Summit 2025, themed ‘Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions,’ focuses on the importance of partnerships in accelerating problem-solving and implementation through shared responsibilities, collective action, and collaborative solutions.