COP26: Lesson Learnt and Way Forward
- By : resourceshimalaya.org
- December 5, 2021
Resources Himalaya Foundation organized a panel discussion on “COP26: Lessons Learnt and Way Forward” on December 5, 2021. The program was moderated by Mr. Bhushan Tuladhar (Chairperson of Clean Energy Nepal and Environment and Public Health Organization). The panelists were Dr. Radha Wagle (Joint Secretary and Chief of Climate Change Management Division, Ministry of Forests and Environment), Dr. Bimal Raj Regmi (Team Leader, Policy and Institutions Facility, Oxford Policy Management) and Ms. Prakriti Koirala (Student, MSc. in Environmental Science, Central Department of Environmental Sciences, TU). All the panelist were among the delegates who represented Nepal in COP26.
Sharing their experiences of their learnings from the COP26, the panelists discussed on the issues that COP26 addressed and failed to address. Dr. Radha Wagle talked about the preparation that Nepal made to present its need in COP26. The urgency of implementation of actions like National Planning Adaptation, strategies of reduction of carbon emission and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) was put forward in the negotiation process. Some of the positive things were that majority of the countries in the conference were convinced on the loss and damage from climate change and the Paris Agreement was finalized after all the countries agreed on the disputed agenda. Dr. Bimal Raj Regmi talked about the role of private organizations in implementing the commitments that Nepal has made. Comparing the present and historical context, he highlighted that the interest of developed countries and least developed countries might not align. However, the fact that incremental progress has been made cannot be denied. Government cannot work singlehandedly to meet the target, so the investment and commitment from private organizations is very important. Additionally, all the major departments and ministries of Nepal must work together through an integrated approach to enhance Nepal’s role to combat climate change. Ms. Prakriti Koirala represented the youth and highlighted on the need to have a youth inclusive approach in the implementation of different climate change related actions. She pointed out the difference in commitment level of least developed countries and developed countries. From a youth’s perspective, she mentioned that the net-zero commitment made by Nepal could be attained if all the concerned authorities work together including active engagement of youth.
In the discussion session, the role of private organization for the promotion of electric vehicles was highlighted. Without the support of government in technical assistance, private sector engagement in promotion of such vehicles is very low. The talk underlined the need of creating an enabling environment by the government for the private sector to invest in climate resilient or adaptive technologies. To summarize, the panel discussion mainly highlighted the need for implementing the commitment of COP26, wise and sustainable use of domestic finance and the need for an integrated approach from all departments in the country.
Please find the recorded video link below:
https://www.facebook.com/RHFEGH/videos/3825384984231788/
