Key Resources on Climate Action and Legal Frameworks

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

What It Is: A legally binding international treaty that set emission reduction targets for industrialized countries.

Impact: The protocol’s mechanisms, such as carbon trading and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), provided financial incentives for countries like Nepal to invest in green energy and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Why It Matters Now: While no longer in effect, the Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for future climate agreements like the Paris Agreement.

Paris Agreement (2015)

What It Is: A landmark global climate pact where each country sets its own targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Key Points:

• Aims to limit global warming to below 2°C and make efforts to cap it at 1.5°C.
• Countries must update their NDCs every five years to reflect increased ambition in fighting climate change.

Why It Matters: The Paris Agreement is a critical tool for global climate action, and understanding it helps young leaders advocate for stronger NDCs and hold governments accountable.

Loss and Damage Fund (2022)

What It Is: A financial mechanism established at COP27 to provide funding for countries suffering the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

Key Points:

• Provides assistance to countries facing irreversible climate damages such as glacier melts, extreme weather events, and ecosystem loss.
• Encourages developed countries, who are historically responsible for higher emissions, to contribute significantly to the fund.

Why It Matters: Nepal, with its fragile mountain ecosystems and vulnerable communities, can benefit greatly from this fund to protect its people from the adverse effects of climate change.

Understanding COP

History and Role: A detailed explanation of the Conference of Parties (COP) and how it brings nations together to discuss and agree on global climate policies.

Key Developments: Important milestones such as the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the Paris Agreement (2015), and the Loss and Damage Fund (2022).

Nepal’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Overview: An in-depth look at Nepal’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, focusing on reducing emissions through hydropower development, sustainable agriculture, and forest conservation.

Why It’s Important: Understanding the NDCs allows youth to monitor the progress of their own government and push for more ambitious goals that align with global climate action.

Loss and Damage Fund Explained

What It Covers: Financial support for adaptation, mitigation, and recovery from climate disasters in vulnerable countries like Nepal.

Advocacy Points: Resources on how youth can advocate for increased contributions to the fund and ensure equitable distribution of climate finance.