न्यूज अभियान
हरेक खबर विशेष खबर

Kathmandu, Nov 9: A month back, the Emission Gap Report prepared by the UN Environment Programme warned: "The opportunity to bridge the 1.5°C emissions gap with ‘no or limited’ overshoot has been lost."

The world energy is still dependent on humongous share of fossil fuel. An energy think tank, Ember Energy, mentions, "Fossil fuels still provide 59% of the world’s electricity – and coal power remains the largest source of electricity and the single largest emitter in the global economy."

Similarly, the fresh Adaptation Gap Report, 2026 has finely articulated the current status of adaptation finance from its very title, "Ready? Not. Climate impacts will not wait. Adaptation finance must rise."

These revelations are few reflections on callous treatment of climate crises, while Nepal itself suffered worst by a glacial disaster occurred on August 26. 

Rising temperature, melting snow, glacial collapse, loss of species, increasing health risk, crop failures, wild fires and rising sea levels swallowing coastal communities have intensified, thereby inflicting billions of people across the globe. The climate breakdown largely caused by the human activities has forced the planet earth to undergo a stress test. Amidst such climate crises, another series of UN conference on climate change called, COP31, is beginning today in Antalya, Turkyie. 

Climate crises- more than environmental extreme- requires redefining development approaches, which further warrants building nature-friendly political perspective and change in human behaviour. Worsening climate has become so pervasive that it is augmenting ill effects on health, education, agriculture, economy and society cohesion. It is like Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a sense that it emerged as a 'force multiplier'. It is reversing the development gains. The intensity, scale and speed of the disasters caused by climate change have amplified- now beyond human imagination. The Bhotekoshi glacial disaster of Nepal is a stark reminder.  

Sustainable financing 
The agenda in the table are almost similar to the previous editions- limiting/reducing temperature rise, increasing climate finance and adaptation efforts, advancing just transition and deepening global cooperation for common cause. 

In addition to formal addresses, side events, discussions and exchange of best practices on climate actions among the UN members, the tough section is the negotiation that occur in the second week of the conference. 

In this multilateral process, finding quick result and resolution is, however, difficult. Varied political and development interests meet in a single common platform and weigh numerous options on climate issues.  Those already rich and industrialized countries are hugely responsible for GHG emission. In view of their historical roles behind burning the world, they have been demanded for long to extend adequate financial support to the least developed and worst suffering nations. 

The grouping like the least developed countries (LDC) and the small Island developing states (SIDS) lobby for their needs and make public common interest and suffering. COP31 is a good platform for forging regional collaboration and cooperation to tackle the climate crises. 

However, it is worrying that the implementation of the past agreements is too slow. Various points of major climate deals like Paris Agreement are therefore evergreen agenda in COP. It was indeed a milestone to pave way for climate justice. 

However, those to bear more responsibility to launch impactful initiatives to reduce GHG emission and lessen the global warming acting slow off the marks, while the country like Nepal, suffering disproportionate impact of climate change, are pressing for adequate assistance to sustainable financing.
Words and echo

Interesting that every COP sees surfacing of particular words, 'phase down', 'phase out', 'transition away from fossil fuel', 'new collective quantified goals (NCQG)', 'global stocktaking', and 'loss and damage'. Dwelling on climate finance and climate justice agenda which have dominated the UN climate event for quite a while, these words carry significance and even refer to the pressing debates of different COPs. When a section of countries wanted to 'phase out' use of coal, another section insisted on 'phase down' the use of coal. It ultimately acted to 'water down' the hope for better climate action.

The 'phase down' and 'phase out' contestation had figured in the COP26 occurred in the Glasgow, UK in 2021. Similarly, the 'Loss and Damage Fund' was established in COP27 in Egypt 2022. It was operationalized a year later. However, it took time to release the assistance from the Fund. Similarly, COP28 occurred in Dubai featured the terms 'transition away from fossil fuel', and the 'NCQG' in COP29. All these are in need related to the climate justice.

Justice means thinning divide
If the climate justice is to be delivered and the COP31 is to prod all concerned for it, the increasing gap in multiple fronts must be thinned. Whether it comes to the economic growth or development activities or the climate actions across the globe, the divide of industrialized and unindustrialized; north and south; and developed and underdeveloped; and the developing and underdeveloped are always manifest, requiring adequate attention and collective actions. 

Undoubtedly, economic development is the foundation of political power and international clout. As the developed and industrialized nations advance their economies with unrelenting industrializations, the unindustrialized and underdeveloped ones are more at the receiving end with extreme results.

With low capacity to cope with disasters, the weaker ones decry the way the big ones forward their developments. 'Are your development models a human rights-focused? Why is climate justice elusive? Are climate pacts only for words?' These questions are posed to the big ones this time too. 

Last year, some even called the COP30 a 'COP of truth and implementation', for it had been a decade since the historic adoption of Paris Agreement. However, the comments made following the COP30 were biting. Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Chiara Martinelli, had commented the COP30, saying, "Adaptation was sidelined, and fossil fuels were erased from the outcome. Ten years after Paris, we expected courage. Instead, world leaders delivered the bare, bare minimum."

Moreover, when it comes to emission gaps exposing global lethargy on climate commitments, UN Secretary General argues, "The emissions gap is now a leadership gap." 

The warning of world climate reports, scientific observations and bitter experiences across the world has made the COP31 a stress test moment for the leaderships. Let's wait and watch how they negotiate and take ahead the global climate agenda and save humanity.