Nepal's position paper for the Copenhagen

Negotiations (COP15)

Climate Change Diplomacy 0906

Prepared by:

Mr. Shreedeep Rayamajhi

Submitted to:
Katharina Höne (KatharinaH@diplomacy.edu)

Christiaan Sys (ChristiaanS@diplomacy.edu)

Diplo Foundation Associate and Tutor

Climate Change Diplomacy 0906

Date: 01/06/2009 - 01/10/2009

Website: www.diplomacy.edu

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Diplo's online Climate Change Diplomacy 0906

Course Content
Topics Covered

1. Introduction to Climate Change Diplomacy

2. Climate Change – A Cognitive Toolkit
3. National State Actors in Climate Change Diplomacy
4. Non-state Actors in Climate Change Diplomacy
5. Climate Change – Legal and Policy Instruments
6. Climate Change – Levels of Activity
7. Strategies, Policies (and Some Technologies)
8. The Road Ahead

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Executive Summary

Nepal being an under developed country and having less emission rate certain portrays it
preeminence but the impact of the climates change and GHG in it territory has been immense
where it needs to further raise questions for mitigation and adaption. The past experiences of the
temperature rise in the Himalayan region have brought inevitable conditions where the drastic
changes have suffered the consequence in both Visual Appearance of snow melting and
accidents.

There is no argument that, economic development policy of Nepal should not compromise with
the policies to mitigate GHG emissions but Nepal’s policies should try to flow in cooperation
creating an effective scenario of saving the changes by effective measure of both mitigation and
adaption where effort counts.
Amid the changing environment a framework should be devised targeting the adaptation and
mitigation measures, which would ensure a smooth flow of both excluding conflicting outcomes.
The goal for long-term cooperation should be comprehensive that should consists of sustainable
development, mitigation, adaptation, financing and technology adapting the developed to the
least developed countries with addressing their need and problems. In terms of mitigation, the
developed countries as a whole should reduce their GHG emissions according to the standard set
by the conference on mutual understanding.
Thus the Copenhagen Climate Conference should focus on full, effective and sustained
implementation of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol prioritizing positive outcome, for
mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and financial support.

Shreedeep Rayamajhi

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Nepal's position paper for the Copenhagen Negotiations (COP15)
Nepal is a small landlocked country situated between massive global economy of China and
India. Nepal has considerable stake admits its strategic location where climate changes has
drastically affected its major resources including the fragile mountain ecosystem and most
importantly the human settlement. With the unstable economy and label of under developing
country, Nepal is struggling to meet the standards of globalization where it suffers in different
ways social, financially and ecologically.

It lacks proper institutional, scientific and economic resources to adapt the climate changes
making it more vulnerable to externalities of Climate change. Recent incidents of the glacial lake
out-burst (Cho-Rolpa) in Nepal is the implications of the climate change which threats similar
other glaciers and the whole Himalayan region.

Apart from the fossil fuels, deforestation and the changes in the land uses are also responsible for
net increases in the carbon dioxide emissions where Nepal is moving towards adapting different
strategies of Mitigation and Adaptation. Therefore, climate change seeks action at two major
areas. First is the mitigation of the greenhouse gases and the second is the adaptation to the
climate change.

Nepal’s Mitigation and Adaptation strategy towards Climate Change

Mitigation and adaptation are the strategic tools that deal with the cause and effect part of the
global climate change. A mitigation strategy tries to eliminate the cause of global climate change
whereas adaptation strategies try to minimize the adverse effects of the climate change.

 With the donor-driven Mitigation activities rather than the country driven, Nepal’s
national priority is not the global environment but the local one. Moreover, the efforts
have resulted in improvement of the local pollution, raising awareness, energy
conservation, and technology transfer.
 Adaptation to the climate change is the area where Nepal has more stakes. Implications
of the climate changes to the fragile mountain ecosystem, fresh water, and extreme
weather events, agriculture, human health and others are taking its toll where the people
living in the selected area are facing serious problems.

Main focus of the Conference

1. Focusing UFCCC and Kyoto protocol in implementing the Bali road Map: The Bali
Roadmap mandates the implementation of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, creating
a secure, full, effective and sustained implementation of the UNFCCC with priority to
mitigation, adaption, technology transfer and financial support. This will further help in
reducing emission rate for developed countries according to the standard set under the

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 second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

2. Cooperation and Flexibility in responsibility: The developed national should take

responsibility for the past degradation of the climate and further move on to reduce their
emission with regards to the standards set according to future agreement. They should
further help in assisting the most impacted countries with possible resources including
technological transfer and take proactive measures to adapt and mitigate the climate
change. The agreement should also focus on charging the high GHG emitting members
according to their emission rate.

3. Creating an effective mechanism: The Conference should focus on creating an effective

mechanism to adapt mitigation, adaption, technology transfer and financial support. It
should give equal priorities to the weakest links giving them opportunity to stand up and
facilitate them with effective resources. Nevertheless, financing and technology are
indispensible means to achieve mitigation and adaptation where the mechanism should
focus on the effective technology transfer.

Nepal’s position is very clear in context of COP 15, as climate change has hit us hard, so we
believe in the implementation of Bali agreement and further move ahead with the second
phase of Kyoto Protocol in adapting the most effective measures in reducing the Green house
gas effect. The developed nation should further move to reduce their emission rate effectively
in supporting the most impacted country in every possible way socially, financially and by
transferring effective technologies.

Global warming or climate changes is a concern of everyone so the COP 15 should further
move in cooperation and coalition addressing the needs and problems of the climate change
in securing the future. The conference should also focus on giving substance to the voices of
the smaller countries and try to understand the pragmatic grounds of developed nation. The
efforts should be diverted towards a mutual point of being responsible in making united
efforts of saving our earth.

Strategies of Adaptation

A new climate change agreement must consist of a shared vision to combat climate change and
contain a clear regulatory framework that is valid for a long period of time, ideally until 2050, in
order to provide enduring incentives for climate-friendly investments. Interim targets should also
be established to trigger immediate action through incentives that are effective in the short-term.
A system with medium and long-term targets is necessary both to give enterprises the necessary
investment and planning security and to ensure that targets are met.

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 1. Development of innovative technologies and technology transfer. The development and
application of innovative technologies and technology transfer are decisive to combat
global climate change. So effective research and development need to be given adapting
the best of what can be achieved.
2. The least developed countries and those facing the greatest threats should be supported in
adapting to the consequences of climate change. The financial resources of the existing
Adaptation Fund, which was established for this purpose, should be increased with grants
from the public and the private sector. Industry can contribute to adaptation measures in
particular through developing and providing appropriate technologies.
3. The international climate change agreement must aim to minimize competitive distortions
on the markets through a globally uniform price for greenhouse gas emissions
4. Enhanced action on adaptation, dealing more specifically with:

 Objectives with respect to adapting to the impacts of climate change

 Supporting and undertaking the implementation of adaptation actions
 Addressing risk reduction, management and sharing of efforts to adapt to climate
change
 Institutional arrangements to assist in the implementation of adaptation actions,
and
 Monitoring and reviewing mechanisms for adaptation actions
Strategies of Mitigation

1. In order to combat climate change in a globally effective and cost-efficient way, the post-
2012 agreement must include further development of the project-based on Kyoto Joint
Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). These provide the
opportunity to finance clean technologies and implement climate change measures in
emerging and developing countries.
2. All efforts to reduce emissions must be measurable and verifiable as mentioned in the
Bali Roadmap. An effective compliance system must be developed to enable transparent
and verifiable comparison of the climate change efforts of the different countries. The
post- Kyoto agreement must include an effective sanctioning mechanism for non-
compliance with reduction targets. Improving CDM and JI.
3. Development of innovative technologies and technology transfer is another aspect of
Mitigation. The development and application of innovative technologies and technology
transfer are decisive to combat global climate change.
4. CDM and JI projects should be used more widely for the transfer of environmental
technologies as in view of the trend in the worldwide distribution of CO2 emissions,
projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would be particularly efficient and effective
in developing and emerging countries.
5. Enhanced action on mitigation, dealing more specifically with:
 Objectives with respect to adapting to the impacts of climate change

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  Supporting and undertaking the implementation of adaptation actions
 Addressing risk reduction, management and sharing of efforts to adapt to climate change
 Institutional arrangements to assist in the implementation of adaptation actions, and
 Monitoring and reviewing mechanisms for adaptation actions

Many emerging countries such as China and India have considerable current account surpluses
with which they are able to acquire technologies on the market. Developing countries need
financial support to obtain key technologies for mitigating climate change.

Acronyms

COP- Conference of Parties

GHG- Green House Gas
GLOF- Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding
CDM- Clean Development Mechanism
UNFCCC- United National Framework Convention on Climate Change
REDD - Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries
NAMAs- Nature of nationally appropriate mitigation actions
IPCC- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

By Shreedeep Rayamajhi

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