The recent government plans and policies of Nepal 2024 has clearly indicated Nepal’s intention to opt for the leadership role in internationalizing the effects of climate change in the Himalayas and mountains¹ – a formal step towards Nepal’s call for climate diplomacy. Given Nepal’s significant vulnerability to climate change, particularly in its mountainous areas, there is a strong call for the country to assume a leadership role in international forums. However, the question remains: How can Nepal strategically position itself in the leadership role to address the climate change challenges facing the Himalayas and mountains?

Preparation at Ground Zero: Climate Diplomacy starts at home 

The fundamental dynamic is to understand that climate diplomacy begins at home. Nepal needs to recognize climate change as a central national interest and keep it in priority in the political and diplomatic efforts, that involves state institutions, and requires the involvement of non-state actors. This means to engage to reform internal decision-making process system reallocate resources and enhance capacity to diplomats.² 

Over the past one decade, Nepal has initiated several actions to reduce climate hazards and build resiliency by setting of the institutions with Climate Change Management Division and Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REED+). It has also developed policies, strategies and frameworks such as Climate Change policy in 2011 and replaced by National Climate Change Policy 2019, Energy policy, National Adaptation Plan (2015) and formulation of laws among others. It has also incorporated climate change budget code in its fiscal planning and budgeting process. ³

The fiscal budget announcements of the Nepal government over the past eight years indicate a growing trend in the allocation of the ” relevant and highly relevant” climate

budget. For instance, the budget for the fiscal year 2017-2018 was Rs. 393 billion, which has doubled to Rs. 871 billion by the fiscal year 2024-2025. On average, the climate budget stands at 12.5% over the past 8 years the budget separated for climate change. 

Step towards climate diplomacy: Efforts at national level 

Over the past three decades, Nepal has actively engaged in various regional and global forums related to climate change. Within the country, Nepal gained global attention after holding a cabinet meeting at Kalapathar near the base camp of Mt. Everest in 2009. This was followed by the “Kalapathar Declaration” for COP 15 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark. This initiative was a crucial part of Nepal’s climate diplomacy, serving as an alert to the international community to emphasize that climate change needs to be taken seriously, a message from the top of the world. ⁴

Since then, Nepal has continued to play a major role in raising awareness about the melting of the Himalayas on the international stage. Despite contributing only 0.027% to global greenhouse gas emissions, it is among the most vulnerable countries to climate-induced disasters, facing significant risks to water and sanitation security and food security.  ⁵

Nepal also took initiative to organize a biennial global dialogue forum viz. Sagarmatha Saambaad (Sagarmatha Dialogue Initiative) in starting from 2020 with special focus on issues regarding protection of environment and combat climate change, but the effect of Covid-19 resulted to postponement and has continued to remain in limbo with no level of government effort to start dialogue. ⁶

To create a discourse in the international front, Nepal hosted high level visit. Secretary General of United Nations António Guterres visited Nepal in October 2023 and urged for the need to act to protect people in the frontline of Himalayas and pledged concerns towards retreating glaciers in the Himalayas. The visit was a step towards climate diplomacy ‘through lobby by Nepali diplomatic mission abroad.’⁷

Following the visit in May 2024- Nepal organized International Conference Expert Dialogue on Mountains, people and Climate with over 250 participants worldwide- emphasized the need for climate justice and locally led solutions with clear message that ‘healthy mountains are crucial for a healthy climate…mountain and coastal ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change and supporting lives and livelihoods in both upstream and downstream regions is crucial.’⁸

This dialogue is considered as one of such steps towards Nepal’s leadership action to Climate Change for mountain conservation. By May end- Nepal officially announced to take a leadership role to internationalize the effects of climate change in the Himalayas and mountains through its plans and policies. The recent government plans and policies clearly outlines three major points first to take leadership role to internationalize impact of climate change in the Himalayas and draw global attention to risks face by least developed counties, secondly organize international dialogue to raise awareness and build network of concerned countries and mobilize climate finance and finally to access and maximize climate funds through diplomatic initiatives for loss and damage funds for climate induced damages. 

Nepal’s leadership aspiration and diplomacy

Talking about policies and taking leadership roles are ultimately determined by action. Nepal’s policy announcements and its desire to lead climate change discourse in the developing world require garnering support through effective coalitions and cooperation, achieved via diplomatic efforts in both bilateral and multilateral forums. Nepal’s diplomatic role should not only be limited to coordinating and leading the mountain countries but should also aim to secure support from lowland countries, which will also be severely affected by the climate crisis.

To achieve this, Nepal needs to enhance its diplomatic and negotiation capacity on the international front. This involves adopting strategies that can forge long-term cooperation with other countries, particularly in the assessment, negotiation, and implementation of climate initiatives. Developing expertise in climate change, supported by evidence and skilled human resources, is crucial to effectively participating in these negotiations.

Various reports have highlighted the need for specialized climate diplomats and expert teams capable of negotiating and fostering multilateral cooperation to further Nepal’s leadership role. However, Nepal still lacks a dedicated body with expertise in both climate and diplomacy. According to the report Global warming turns up the heat on Nepal’s climate diplomacy, senior officials in the diplomatic corps emphasize the necessity of establishing a specialized body with the technical knowledge required to support negotiation efforts and secure technical assistance and resources⁹.

In addition to the absence of such a dedicated body, Nepal has yet to fully internalize the importance of focusing on climate diplomacy. Weak coordination between various government agencies further complicates efforts in this area. A recent study on Climate Change Negotiations and Diplomacy strongly recommends extensive inter-ministerial and policy coordination to address these challenges.¹⁰

Interestingly, Nepal’s climate change issues fall under the Ministry of Forests and Environment, but diplomatic efforts in this domain are handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in climate diplomacy is essential for fulfilling policy goals and developing diplomatic strategies, but this requires adequate human and financial resources. Over the past eight years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received a climate-relevant budget.¹¹

Despite these constraints, Nepal has made consistent efforts through its diplomatic channels and now has the opportunity to lead the least developed countries, particularly as the chair of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group. This is also an opportunity to gather support and advocate for critical issues such as climate finance by outlining negotiating positions and campaigning for the most pressing issues faced by the Global South. Now is the time for Nepal to mobilize resources and challenge power structures to safeguard the interests of developing countries severely impacted by climate change. 

Nepal’s aspiration to assume a leadership role in this area hinges on collective efforts by developing nations, political and economic collaboration, and support from the international community. This is where Nepal’s real diplomatic test begins, as it must engage with regional and multilateral stakeholders to achieve its climate leadership goals.

1. Address by the Right Honourable President Mr. Ramchandra Paudel to the Joint Session of both Houses of the Federal Parliament. May 14, 2024. https://www.opmcm.gov.np/en/download/plans-and-policies-of-government-of-nepal-for-fiscal-year-2081-82/
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2. Maybe, N et al. 2013. Understanding climate diplomacy: Building diplomatic capacity and systems to avoid dangerous climate change. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/E3G-Understanding-Climate-Diplomacy.pdf ↩︎
3. Government of Nepal. 2016. National Determined Contributors. Ministry of Population and Environment. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/Nepal%20First%20NDC.pdf
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4. Mall, UB. 2024. Climate Diplomacy: Implications and Prospects for Nepal. NCWA, Annual Journal, Volume-55, Issu1, Feb.2024. https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/ncwaj/article/view/62974/47533 ↩︎
5. Government of Nepal. 2016. National Determined Contributors. Ministry of Population and Environment. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/NDC/2022-06/Nepal%20First%20NDC.pdf ↩︎
6. Pandey, J. 2024. ‘जलवायु कूटनीति’ मा अलमल (Confusion over ’Climate diplomacy’. Ekantipur.com. https://ekantipur.com/news/2024/04/03/confusion-over-climate-diplomacy-54-54.html 
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7. Aryal. T. 2024. Global warming turns up the heat on Nepal’s climate diplomacy. https://www.himalmag.com/politics/global-warming-nepal-climate-crisis-diplomacy-adaptation-international-support-himalaya ↩︎
8. Aryal, I. 2024. Experts meet ends, stresses climate cooperation. The Rising Nepal. https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/43450 ↩︎
9. Aryal. T. 2024. Global warming turns up the heat on Nepal’s climate diplomacy. https://www.himalmag.com/politics/global-warming-nepal-climate-crisis-diplomacy-adaptation-international-support-himalaya ↩︎
10. IIDS &NIPORE. 2022. Climate Change Negotiations and Diplomacy. Nepal Risk Outlook. Issue 8, April 2022. https://www.iids.org.np/images/publications/e3bc1b1500c26e7ddb9e1f140a8ad9fb.pdf ↩︎
11. Review of Climate relevant budget to Ministry of Foreign Affairs from fiscal year 2017 to 2024 of Budget Announcement by Nepal Government. ↩︎