Kathmandu. Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Head of the Climate Change Management Division of the Ministry of Forests and Environment, has alleged that the targets set by the government in the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) are being influenced by donor agencies.
Dhakal, who took charge of the division leading the third NDC, has himself complained that the government is making the targets more ambitious under the influence of donor agencies. He mentioned that recently, there has been a lot of interest from NGOs and donor agencies in the NDC.
In a discussion on transport decarbonization organized by the Natural Resources Center in Kathmandu, Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Head of the Climate Change Management Division of the Ministry of Forests and Environment, said that the debate on climate change should be based on the actual ground conditions of the country.
He argued that to ensure a climate-resilient transport system, we should base our own capabilities and the strategies of neighboring countries on transport decarbonization, without being influenced by donor agencies. He emphasized that Nepal should base its strategy on the targets they take, as the first and third largest carbon emitters are our neighbors.
He said, ‘India is saying that it will be carbon neutral in 2070 and China in 2060. What does it mean if Nepal becomes carbon neutral in 2045? We have to make our strategy based on the baseline of our neighbors. We are among the most populous countries in the world. They are doing carbon emissions. Even if you/we are 100% Newton today, it does not matter. Nepal should make a strategy based on the strategy that India and China take.’
‘International financial support does not come that easily. Climate finance does not come that easily anymore. Climate finance with climate science should be climate justice. The government should set a goal that Nepalis can afford and that the government can afford in NDC 3. If policy incentives are to be given to electric vehicles, it is necessary to discuss public transport. Because the rich class benefited a lot by giving a lot of incentives to four-wheelers. Write a constitution based on socialism and make the NDC ambitious. The general public should not be allowed to ride in vehicles. And how did the state get help? He explained.
He argued that it would be wrong to talk too ambitiously in the name of expanding the use of electric vehicles and decarbonizing transport without arranging alternative sources of revenue.
He described the NDC 3 targets of increasing the sale, distribution and use of electric vehicles for decarbonizing transport, increasing electricity service and quality, expanding transport infrastructure projects, and implementing early warning systems on major highways by 2030 as ‘unreasonable ambition’.
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