President Paudel calls on parties to honour Paris Agreement commitments

KATHMANDU: President Ramchandra Paudel has said that all parties must honour their commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and take measures to contain global temperature rise.

Inaugurating the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Parliamentarians’ Meet 2025 in Kathmandu today, he urged both developed and developing nations, whether poor or industrialised, to adhere to the Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.

He expressed concern over recent temperature rises in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, which have accelerated snowmelt and led to floods and erosion downstream.

“Climate change, loss of biodiversity and air pollution are not limited to scientific reports but have become harsh realities of our lives,” President Paudel said, adding that the conference “is a historic opportunity to shape a roadmap for a common and sustainable future.”

“It is also a moment to make a firm commitment towards the geography, mountains, forests, rivers and environment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya,” he continued. He warned that more than two billion people depend on water emanating from these mountains, but that growing adversity downstream poses a severe challenge.

He noted the region’s rich biodiversity and argued that “the protection of biodiversity helps enrich ecosystems; otherwise, it causes serious impacts on food security, culture and the economy.” The President also thanked member countries for their ongoing efforts to tackle climate change, control air pollution and safeguard biodiversity.

Highlighting Nepal’s own measures, he cited early warning systems for climate-related disasters, collaboration on hydropower development, the promotion of solar energy and participatory community forest conservation. He also mentioned the expansion of protected areas, wildlife monitoring, improvements in public transport, promotion of electric vehicles and tighter controls on industrial emissions.

However, he acknowledged that adequate policies for climate adaptation and resilience are still lacking. He concluded by expressing his expectation that the conference would institutionalise parliamentary dialogue and foster lasting cooperation to address these shared challenges.

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