In addition, we need to make sure we do not miss opportunities for regional collaboration on climate issues. Our partnership with ICIMOD has helped us identify concrete ways of tackling regional climate issues such as on energy trade, water management and air pollution.
The same is also true at the local level, where the UK is supporting innovations through investments of over £52.5million which will help Nepal’s local governments to adapt to climate change in the Karnali Province.
The UK is also helping improve access to clean energy for mountain communities to support sustainable tourism, agricultural processing and reliable domestic use. In particular, the UK is supporting innovations that can increase investment in renewables and find new solutions – like the newly established Tourovation Hub that is developing new models for sustainable energy supply in the Himalayas.
We need strong voices to take this call to tackle the climate crisis in the mountains to the world. The UK is working with the British Council to launch a campaign to support women’s leadership on climate, putting leaders who are women in the driving seat to take the call on climate action. The UK is also supporting Nepal’s Sagarmatha Dialogue. Messages from both initiatives will reach next year’s COP26 in Glasgow.
Finally, as we wait to hear Nepal’s climate ambition at the Climate Ambition Summit on Saturday, we want to reconfirm the UK’s commitment to supporting Nepal’s efforts to undertake a green recovery from the Covid pandemic and to take up a regional leadership role on climate action. It has never been more important to work together for the good of present and future generations.