The Congress pledges to implement strict national environmental standards for air, water, land, and food systems, putting into practice the fundamental right to live in a clean and healthy environment guaranteed by the Constitution.
What you should know
The Congress has stated that it will implement the national commitment to make the nation a 'net-zero emissions' nation by 2045 by implementing structural reforms in the energy, transportation, industry, and infrastructure sectors.
Nepal has made various commitments in international forums related to climate change. The then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, while participating in the International Climate Conference (COP-26) held in Scotland in 2021, had announced that Nepal would become a 'net zero carbon emission' nation by 2045.
Accordingly, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the Adaptation Plan were prepared. The Nepali Congress has made various resolutions to ensure the financial resources, technology, institutional capacity and clear action plan required to turn the declared commitment into concrete results. The pledge made public by the Nepali Congress for the election of members of the House of Representatives to be held on 21 Falgun mentions the implementation of the national commitment to become a 'net zero emission' nation by 2045 by making structural reforms in the energy, transport, industry and infrastructure sectors.
Similarly, the pledge aims to significantly increase the proportion of clean and renewable energy to make the energy used in the industrial and household sectors environmentally friendly. The Congress has stated that it will minimize the serious crisis caused by increasing pollution and climate change, natural disasters and natural disasters on public health and livelihoods through environmental and forest conservation, carbon emission reduction, green economy and disaster preparedness.
The Congress has pledged to implement strict national environmental standards for air, water, land and food systems, implementing the fundamental right to live in a clean and healthy environment guaranteed by the Constitution. Similarly, the Congress has set a goal of achieving green development with a balance between development and environment.
The Congress is committed to maintaining a balance between development and environment by making mandatory use of low-carbon and environmentally friendly technologies in infrastructure, urban development, industry and public services. The Congress has stated that it will maintain at least 46 percent of the country's total forest area and protect forests, biodiversity, soil and watersheds, wetlands, lakes and ponds and natural ecosystems.
The commitment letter states that effective programs will be implemented to reduce the problem of forest fires, effective monitoring and incentive systems will be implemented to control air, water, soil and plastic pollution, and safe food systems and environmentally friendly agricultural systems will be promoted.
Despite being a low-carbon country, Nepal is one of the countries most affected by the effects of climate change. The commitment letter states that climate-friendly agriculture (irrigation, seeds, insurance), forest conservation, climate, renewable hydropower and solar energy will be promoted, and sustainable tourism will be developed based on the expansion of electric stoves, electric vehicles and public transport.
'We will mobilize climate finance from international sources such as the Green Climate Fund, Loss and Damage Fund, World Bank and Asian Development Bank in a strategic, result-oriented and coordinated manner in the coming days,' the commitment letter states.
Similarly, the Congress has stated that it will create the necessary legal and institutional structures to identify, acquire and effectively utilize sources of international and domestic climate finance by attracting the private sector and foreign investment. The pledge states, 'We will make Nepal a meaningful participant in international carbon trade by implementing carbon storage and reduction projects covering sectors such as energy, forest conservation, solid waste management, electric vehicles and electric stoves.'
It is stated that adaptation programs, insurance, employment and direct assistance programs will be implemented for climate justice, focusing on women, indigenous people and marginalized communities. The Congress has stated that it will create green jobs by connecting local and traditional knowledge with modern science and involving youth in innovation. The Congress plans to effectively implement an early warning system and climate and resilience plans by coordinating among the federal, provincial and local governments to mitigate the risks of climate change.
