Minister Sudi pledges for global climate finance access

Kathmandu, July 4: Minister for Forests and Environment, Nawal Kishor Shah Sudi, has pledged to make efforts for Nepal's access to global climate finance with a focus on mitigation of climate change impacts.     

"The government is committed to taking a leading role in accelerating the flow of climate finance and coping up with climate change implications in the mountain life," he said while responding to related concerns raised in the National Assembly (NA) meeting today.     

The Minister highlighted the need for collective efforts to address the impact of climate change, a global concern.     

"Despite Nepal's minimum or almost no role in carbon emissions, it is one of the nations highly vulnerable to climate change consequences," the Minister said.     

He apprised the upper house about the government's decision to implement a green tax on imports of petroleum products and coal from an upcoming fiscal year as per Nepal's international commitment to reducing carbon emissions.     

The Minister also briefed the NA about the recent (second) amendment to the Forest Regulations-2079 BS. The amendment is expected to ease the forest management efforts, as he said.     

According to Minister Sudi, presently, around 35 million cubic feet of timber is produced domestically, and around 20,000 cubic feet of timber (less than one percent of the total national production) is being imported.     

Minister Sudi also informed the upper house that programmes would be implemented for promoting greenery, forestation, and plant production, among others with the participation of the federal, provincial and local governments as well as the consumer groups.     

He acknowledged the budget allocation to the Chure conservation efforts is not sufficient compared to its gravity and the expanded geography, and there should be collective efforts to conserve the Chure range ecosystem with an increase in the budget appropriation.(RSS)