Kathmandu: Nepal has called for stronger global cooperation and adequate climate financing to address the growing impacts of climate change, particularly on vulnerable mountain ecosystems and communities, urging the international community to translate commitments into concrete action.
Addressing the opening plenary of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) on Monday, November 9, Hon. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, who is leading the Nepali delegation, highlighted the unprecedented impacts of recent climate-induced disasters on lives, livelihoods and ecological systems.
He called for a dedicated work programme on mountain and climate change under the COP31 process, stressing the urgency of addressing the specific challenges faced by mountain regions, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Khanal also stressed the need to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming limit within reach, integrate mountain-specific indicators into the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) framework and ensure adequate financing under the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).
Emphasizing the importance of safeguarding fragile mountain ecosystems, he warned that their degradation could have far-reaching consequences for around 15 percent of the global population.
He also called for addressing the cascading impacts of climate change from the mountains to the sea and urged international partners to support Nepal’s efforts to rebuild better, faster and more equitably in the aftermath of climate-related disasters.
