Leading experts, policymakers and scholars
from the energy, forestry and tourism sectors—all three important to
Nepal from the perspective of low carbon competitiveness perspective—discussed
and explored ways to low carbon growth vis-a-vis these three sectors in Nepal.
According to Dr Ratnakar Adhikari, Chief Executive Director,
SAWTEE: “The impact of climate change, including the global call for
ratcheting up mitigation efforts and various ramifications at the national
level are likely to alter the dyanmics of competitiveness in most low income
countries and Nepal is not an execption to this.” Since report to be presented
today focuses on Nepal’s case study, the objective of the event is to discuss
the impact on Nepal’s competitiveness and growth as well as to identify
potential opportunities and threats, he remarked.
Ms Karen Ellis, Head of Programme, Private Sector and Markets,
ODI, UK while presenting the conceptual framework of the study said that the
climate change, international mitigation policies, and natural resource
scarcity will create opportunities and threats for Nepal’s competitiveness and
sources of growth. According to her, now is the time for policymakers and
businesses to act in order to manage risks and capitalize on the opportunities.
Mr Alberto Lemma, Research Officer, Private Sector and Markets, ODI, UK
stated that growth and low carbon emissions can work together in order to let
Nepal gain a competitive edge against high income countries which will struggle
to move away from high carbon processes, an issue that Nepal does not have to
face since it can choose, now, to move towards green productive sectors.
Amid the very slow progress towards developing carbon finance
through REDD+ at the international level, it is not clear how or how quickly
the mechanism will develop going forward, according to Mr Asish Subedi,
Programme Officer, SAWTEE. Thus while positioning the country to benefit from
REDD+ makes sense, too much reliance should not be placed on this as a funding
mechanism. Rather, he suggested, public sources of climate finance are perhaps
more likely to be forthcoming for low income countries such as Nepal.
“The study has identified the ways towards low carbon growth in
Nepal as well has highlighted the opportunities and challenges in the tourism,
forestry and energy sectors. Any measures taken to decrease green house gas
emission should not hamper our growth prospects, and our possibility to catch
up with the developed world”, said Dr Posh Raj Pandey, Executive Chairman,
SAWTEE, who was Charing the session during which three different presentations
were made relating to three different sectors, namely tourism, forestry and
energy. He also suggested that the low-carbon growth trajectory has to be a
long term and a hollistic approach.
Altogether about 40 stakeholders participated in the workshop.
Presentations
Media Coverage
