Major Political Parties Integrate Climate Agenda into Manifestos Ahead of Elections

Kathmandu. Targeting the upcoming House of Representatives elections on Falgun 21, major political parties have incorporated environmental and climate change issues into their manifestos. As a global debate on climate crisis continues among powerful nations, Nepal's major political parties have prioritized climate issues in their declarations.

They have made climate adaptation, carbon trading, and Nepal's advocacy in international forums their main agendas. The Nepali Congress has made air pollution control a key agenda in its pledge document, adopting policies such as achieving ‘Net Zero Emission by 2045’, promoting electric vehicles, expanding green energy, and mobilizing capital through ‘Green Bonds’. 

The Congress has put forward a plan to create green employment through forest management, biodiversity conservation, and a ‘Plastic-Free Nepal’ campaign. The Congress appears to have proposed the clearest policy and regulatory structure for climate mitigation and pollution control.

The Congress's resolution proposal mentions strategically, result-oriented, and coordinated mobilization of climate finance received from international sources such as the Green Climate Fund, Loss and Damage Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank under climate finance and the loss and damage fund in the coming days. The Congress stated, ‘Under carbon trading, we will adopt strong climate diplomacy and use the benefits obtained from carbon trading directly to improve the living standards of local communities.’

Similarly, under adaptation development, the Congress has pledged to promote sustainable tourism based on the expansion of ‘climate-resilient agriculture (irrigation, seeds, insurance), forest conservation, climate-resilient hydropower and solar energy promotion, and the expansion of electric stoves, electric vehicles, and public transport. 

The CPN-UML has also included the climate issue in its manifesto. The UML has covered the topic of climate change under the 10th point (‘Green Forest, Community Wealth’) of the ‘25 Pillars of Prosperity’ in its manifesto and under various other headings. The UML manifesto states, ‘We will represent Nepal strongly and meaningfully in regional and international forums on the issue that major greenhouse gas emitting nations must fulfill their responsibility to provide justice-based compensation, technology transfer, capacity building, and special facilities for carbon trading to countries affected by climate change.’ 

The manifesto also mentions the implementation of national programs for the prevention and adaptation to the multifaceted impacts, risks, and damages caused by climate change under adaptation programs. It commits to international advocacy to ensure access to climate finance and compensation, continuing the Sagarmatha Dialogue. The UML aims for Nepal to lead in expanding climate adaptation and mitigation programs and Himalayan climate conservation. However, the manifesto does not mention any concrete long-term programs. 

The manifesto mentions ensuring drinking water supply by mobilizing a certain percentage of available climate finance in the field of climate adaptation towards climate adaptation and climate-resilient programs such as spring conservation. The UML manifesto states, ‘The thinking, knowledge, and skills of local communities, youth, and experts will be maximally utilized for mitigating the impact of climate change and adaptation, and access to climate finance and modern technology that Nepal can obtain from the international arena will be increased.’ It further states, ‘Nepal's presence and effective representation will be ensured in regional and international forums on the issue of green development-oriented nations providing justice-based compensation, technology transfer, capacity building, and special facilities for implementation to countries affected by climate change.’ 

The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) has committed to the prudent use of natural resources, promotion of a green economy, and achieving the ‘Net Zero Emission’ target by 2045. It has also put forward plans to utilize the Green Climate Fund, build a legal basis for carbon trading, and develop an AI-based disaster early warning system. It has adopted a policy to link forests with production and employment by operating a ‘One Community Forest, One Enterprise’ program in community forests. 

The manifesto states that the issues of rising global temperatures and climate change will be internationalized to draw global attention to the risks posed by the climate crisis to Himalayan countries. It mentions that initiatives will be taken to build a network of concerned countries under Nepal's leadership in this direction. 

The CPN has also adopted a policy to make special diplomatic and technical efforts to maximize the utilization of funds from financial mechanisms established by global agreements related to climate change, such as the Green Climate Fund and the Loss and Damage Fund, as well as other opportunities. 
 
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has included climate finance, climate justice, and environmental security in its pledge document. The RSP's pledge document states, ‘Climate change adaptation and resilience will be linked with development planning, infrastructure design, and budget processes.’ It adds, ‘We will approve a national climate finance strategy and initiate high-level diplomatic advocacy to secure the compensation and grants Nepal is entitled to from global climate funds.’ 

The RSP has pledged to strongly raise the issue of climate change as ‘Climate Justice’ in international forums to protect Nepal's Himalayas and environment. Furthermore, the RSP's pledge document mentions elevating Nepal from the identity of a ‘victim’ nation in the global crisis of climate change to a ‘leading’ role. ‘To achieve this, we will approve a clear ‘Climate Diplomacy Roadmap’ and strengthen Nepal's agenda and demands in terms of high-level and technical aspects in upcoming climate conferences,’ the RSP stated. 

The RSP's pledge document also mentions establishing a ‘Forest Fire High-Alert Center’ for the security of community and national forests, and implementing a ‘Scientific Excavation and Export Procedure’ to stop the uncontrolled extraction of stones, gravel, and sand, and to reduce the risk of flooding caused by filling Terai rivers with gravel. 

The RSP plans to implement a multi-party plan to bring air pollution within the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), and adopt a policy of creating and strictly enforcing new emission standards from vehicles, brick kilns, and factories. The RSP has also announced a complete ban on the open burning of waste and agricultural residue.