Climate Change and UNFCCC Negotiation Process

The document serves as a technical and strategic manual for Nepal's delegation to the UNFCCC. It explains the institutional structure of the climate regime, analyzes Nepal's high vulnerability to climate change—particularly in the Himalayas—and outlines national policies like the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). It details Nepal's engagement with mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and REDD+, while advocating for a 1.5°C global warming limit and increased, direct climate finance for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and mountain nations.

• Nepal is identified as one of the most climate-vulnerable nations globally, ranked fourth most vulnerable by Maplecroft in 2010.
• Climate projections for Nepal indicate a mean annual temperature increase of 1.2ºC by 2030, 1.7ºC by 2050, and 3ºC by 2100 relative to a pre-2000 baseline.
• Nepal's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible, estimated at 0.025% of the global annual total.
• Nepal advocates for a global temperature rise limit of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and argues that global emissions must peak by 2015.
• Nepal has faced significant barriers in utilizing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), including complex project design and strict 'additionality' criteria that hindered hydropower and biogas projects.
• The REDD+ process in Nepal faces challenges including weak governance, illegal logging, and high transaction costs for monitoring fragmented community forests.
• Climate change disproportionately affects women in Nepal, increasing their workload for water and fuel-wood collection and raising health risks such as uterine prolapse.
• Nepal's climate-related expenditure has increased, with annual spending ranging from 1.3% to 2.1% of GDP between 2007/08 and 2011/12, with 76% focused on adaptation.
• Nepal leads the 'Mountain Initiative' to secure global attention and specific adaptation instruments for mountain ecosystems under the UNFCCC.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2012). Climate Change and UNFCCC Negotiation Process. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-UNFCCC-Negotiation-Process.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Climate Change and UNFCCC Negotiation Process. 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-UNFCCC-Negotiation-Process.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Climate Change and UNFCCC Negotiation Process |date=November 2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-UNFCCC-Negotiation-Process.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2012climate, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Climate Change and UNFCCC Negotiation Process}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-UNFCCC-Negotiation-Process.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }