People gathering to demand climate justice in Nepal

8th November, 2021 - As the world representatives gather in Glasgow, Scotland from 31st October - 12th November 2021 for the COP26 summit that brings parties to work towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP26 is happening at a crucial moment in history. Thousands of people demonstrated across Asia today demanding climate justice from world leaders gathered at the UN climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow.  The rallies took place in the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Thailand. The rallies today were part of a wave of actions globally that began last November 6.

Across the world and across movements, we are seeing a new wave of resistance, global solidarity and grassroots organising. We have a unique opportunity to rewire our system as we recover from the pandemic. We can either intensify the crisis to the point of no return, or lay the foundations for a just world where everyone’s needs are met.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Sher Bahadur Deuba addressed the World Leaders Summit on 1st November, 2021 at COP26 to recognize the mountains' climate vulnerability and give the mountain agenda top priority in all climate-related negotiations. He also emphasized on the role of COP26 in increasing financial, technological and capacity-building resources by enabling adequate adaptation support for the most vulnerable countries against climate crises.

“We want to send a powerful demand to the countries at COP26 to implement a rapid and just transition out of fossil fuels and for rich countries to urgently deliver adequate climate finance to the Global South,” said Aabhushan Khadka- organizing team member from Digo Bikas Institute.

After the success of People's Climate March-Kathmandu 2014 and People's Climate Mobilization 2015, now People's Climate Mobilization Nepal 2021 (PCM) will continue to work collectively to raise voice for climate justice. Therefore, in support and solidarity with the commitments made by Nepal at COP26, and  in solidarity with the people and communities from the Global South, along with the various social movements, grassroots organizations and climate justice activists around the world for the ‘Global Day of Action: 6 November, 2021’ that demanded governments and corporations to limit global temperatures to 1.5°C and deliver real and just solutions to the climate crisis, PCM is mobilising people and calling for more than climate action on Monday (8th Nov, 2021) at Basantapur Dabali, Kathmandu.

Nischhal Kharal, organizing team member of Centre for Social Change told “ Climate finance is an obligation by most of the G20 member countries based on their huge share in historical and continuing emissions and, therefore, their responsibility for the climate crisis and stressed  finance for loss and damage must be considered separately from adaptation and institutional mechanisms and must prioritize the most vulnerable people.”

Another organizing team member- Bidhi Adhikari from Extinction Rebellion Youth Nepal said that “Climate Finance delivered mostly as loans contradict the principle  and purpose of climate finance as  agreed in the Climate Convention, and only serve to exacerbate the debt burdens of developing countries”.

Demands of People's Climate Mobilization Nepal 2021 are:

1.Separate finance to address the loss and damage and No climate Finance in Loan.

2.No to Net Zero, we call for Real Zero

3.No Climate Justice without Gender, Indigenous and Disability Justice

3.No to Oil drilling in Nepal

4.We Demand Rich Countries do their Fair share

5.No false solutions to address the climate crisis.

6.Put Indigenous Peoples  at the center of climate justice

We are organizing various solidarity activities on the day ranging from placards and banners demonstrations, climate change skit, climate change poem recitation, climate change installation art, art exhibition, signatory campaign and more.

The solidarity event is organized in solidarity with international solidarity event and south the alarm- climate Emergency Act for Climate Justice now Campaign.