The government has published the 'Third Nationally Determined Contribution (Third NDC)' book with commitments for climate change mitigation.

The third NDC was announced by the government at the inaugural session of the Everest Dialogue which started on Friday in Kathmandu. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli handed over the third NDC book to COP-29 President Mukhtar Babayav. It was approved by the cabinet meeting on Wednesday to send it to the secretariat of UNFCCC. 

The third NDC has been prepared with a detailed blueprint for climate change mitigation, adaptation and financial management, sustainable development goals up to 2035, mobilization of domestic and international financial resources and plans for climate implementation at the local level. By supporting global efforts to limit the global temperature increase within 1.5 degrees Celsius, Nepal is aiming to contribute to climate crisis management. 

Despite its negligible contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal has expanded the scope of its quantitative reduction targets and policies and measures. The third National Determined Contribution has set targets up to 2035. With the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, the government has taken effective measures in energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forest, water resources, urban infrastructure and cultural heritage, informed Naresh Sharma, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment. 

Likewise, the Third National Determined Contribution aims to reduce total transmission and distribution losses to 11.50 percent by 2030 and 10.50 percent by 2035 while improving transmission and distribution systems. The goal is to expand electricity in rural areas and promote solar and hydropower and establish waste-to-energy plants in special economic zones by 2035. The target is to build a 100 ton per day (RDF) plant in Kathmandu Valley.

The goal is to establish 200 climate-friendly farms by 2030 and 100 climate-friendly villages by 2035. The target is to expand irrigation facilities to 753 thousand hectares. The aim is to expand the weekly agriculture-climate consultation service to all 77 districts. Forests, Biodiversity and Watershed Conservation, 50% of forests are to be managed sustainably (including the Red Plus initiative). The goal is to restore 50 percent of river banks and wetland areas. There are 200 rain-storage dams and 1,000 water resource conservation plans under water resources and energy to reduce 50 percent of incidents by controlling forest fires.

In the third NDC, the government has set ambitious targets in power generation and supply, electric stoves, transport and industry. Likewise, renewable electricity production capacity has been expanded to 14,031 MW by 2030 and a target of 28,500 MW has been set by 2035. 

The government aims to build and operate 200 kilometers of electric rail network for public transport and freight by 2030 and 300 kilometers by 2035. 

One of the major sources of pollution is the brick industry, which is targeted to be converted into a clean technology.

The government has set a target to reduce methane gas emissions from improved cowsheds. For that, 500,000 improved sheds will be built, 10,000 hectares of gardens will be built, soil organic matter will be increased to at least 3.95 percent, and through the use of financial resources obtained from the Red Plus initiative, 50 percent of the plains and inner plains and 25 percent of the mid-hills and mountain areas will be managed sustainably.