Kathmandu, Nov 10: Nepal and Bhutan failed to secure a separate formal agenda item on mountain issues at the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which began in Antalya, Türkiye, on Monday. However, negotiations that continued until 2 am resulted in an understanding to keep discussions on mountain-related climate challenges alive and seek their inclusion in the conference’s final decisions.
A member of Nepal’s delegation told Setopati that Kyrgyzstan had also proposed a separate agenda item on mountain issues but later agreed to combine its proposal with those of Nepal and Bhutan.
“Talks continued until 2 am today, after which an understanding was reached. The COP president will continue consultations with us throughout the conference. We expect positive outcomes on some elements of our proposals,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
Climate research and news organisation Carbon Brief also reported that two proposals related to mountain issues were not accepted as separate agenda items when the conference adopted its agenda on Monday.
According to Carbon Brief, COP31 President Murat Kurum will hold further consultations on the issue. Discussions have also advanced on holding dialogues on mountain regions and climate change in Bonn, Germany, in 2027 and 2028.
Nepal and Bhutan had written to the UN Climate Change Secretariat on October 29, proposing a separate agenda item on the impacts of 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming on mountains and mountain regions worldwide.
The proposal appeared as agenda item 20 in the supplementary provisional agenda published on November 6. Kyrgyzstan’s proposal for a regular mountain dialogue was listed as agenda item 18. Neither proposal secured separate formal agenda status.
According to the Nepali delegation official, late-night negotiations produced an understanding on four areas:
Kurum will hold discussions with Nepal, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan and other mountain countries throughout COP31 to explore an approach acceptable to all parties.
Two rounds of discussions are proposed in Bonn, Germany, where the UN Climate Change Secretariat is headquartered. Topics could include glacier melt, rising temperatures, water availability and disaster risks in mountain regions.
Nepal will propose including mountain issues in the research dialogue under the 66th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), which provides scientific and technical advice within the UN climate process. The proposal aims to bring mountain-related climate risks into international research priorities. However, their inclusion has not yet been approved.
The COP president will facilitate a high-level programme titled ‘Advancing the Mountain Agenda’, jointly organised by Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The event will address glacier-related challenges, climate impacts in mountain regions and the financial support needed to tackle them.
Securing a separate formal agenda item at a UN climate conference allows countries to hold dedicated negotiations, present proposals and potentially reach formal decisions.
Had Nepal’s proposal been accepted, climate change impacts on mountain regions could have been discussed through a dedicated negotiation track.
Although the proposal failed to gain formal status, the four areas of understanding provide alternative avenues for Nepal to keep mountain concerns on the international climate agenda.
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