Climate Diplomacy

Nepal has completed all preparations to hold Sagarmatha Sambaad in Kathmandu from May 16 to 18, with the theme of ‘Climate Change, Mountain and the Future of Humanity.’ Also known as Everest Dialogue, the mega event on the impacts of and solutions to climate change is the first of its kind in Nepal, organised to draw the attention of the international community. The Himalayan nation is bearing the brunt of disproportionate consequences of climate change triggered by the rising temperature. Its mountain ecology, farming and food systems are under constant threat as shiny mountains are losing snow at an alarming rate. The current situation has emerged as the industrial nations failed to act with urgency to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius as determined by the Paris Agreement.

Mountainous countries like Nepal suffer the worst if this target remains unmet. The countries must make a collective resolve to reduce global emissions by at least 43 per cent by 2030, sixty per cent by 2035, and reach net-zero emissions in the latter half of the century. Against this backdrop, organising Sagarmatha Sambaad, Nepal has strongly pushed the climate diplomacy to sharply remind the global community about the disastrous impacts of climate change. It holds greater significance to advance Nepal's cause and muster international cooperation against global warming, which has imperilled this planet. Sagaramatha, the world's tallest peak, is not only Nepal's identity and glory but also the global heritage that all nations should be proud of. Named after the iconic mountain, the Sagarmatha Sambaad will surely pull the national, regional and global stakeholders together to achieve the noble goal.

According to a news report carried by this daily, at least 175 foreign guests from 12 countries are scheduled to attend the climate gathering. The domestic delegates in equal numbers will share the forum with the foreign leaders, scholars, researchers, experts and policy makers.  Distinguished delegates from India and China, as well as the President’s Climate Envoy of Azerbaijan, who also serves as the COP-29 Chair, are confirmed to speak at the function. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres will send his audio-visual message to be presented in the climate jamboree. The event will feature around 10 pre-dialogue sessions and 12 thematic sessions. It will cover five key topics - snowmelt to sea level rise, highlands to Iceland, the green economy, climate justice and humanity, and loss and damage – and come up with a Kathmandu Declaration, urging the global community to act for environmentally better world.

The Nepal government has set up Sagarmatha Sambaad as an international platform to promote dialogue and collaboration on the burning climate issues. It seeks to boost the resilience and adaptation capacity of mountain regions by emphasising water, food, ecosystem and livelihoods of the people residing in the regions. The mountainous nations have called for the mobilisation of climate finance, technology transfer and support for capacity-building initiatives. Nepal is poised to catapult itself as a neutral and dialogue-friendly leader through the successful convening of the event.  This will indeed enable the country to demonstrate its pledges and actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, build global partnerships and lift the national confidence. Moreover, this will be a testimony to the fact that Nepal is capable of holding the international dialogue on this scale.