COP30 Leaders’ Summit concluded with the adoption of the ‘Call of Belém for the Climate’, a declaration urging accelerated global efforts to confront the worsening climate crisis. Meeting in the Amazonian city of Belém—33 years after the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement—heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral climate action, solidarity, and sustainability.

The declaration underscored that “climate change is no longer a threat of the future—it is a tragedy of the present.” Leaders highlighted the urgent need to address intensifying floods, droughts, and wildfires that disproportionately impact vulnerable populations. The Call of Belém emphasized bridging the “ambition, implementation, and means-of-implementation gaps” that continue to hinder progress toward the 1.5°C target.

The declaration outlined several key priorities, including tripling adaptation finance by 2030 and fully operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund. It also emphasized implementing the Baku–Belém Roadmap, which aims to mobilize $1.3trn annually by 2035 for developing countries. Leaders stressed the need to strengthen climate governance, reform global financial systems, and expand fair, grant-based climate finance. 

Furthermore, the declaration called for advancing the transition away from fossil fuels in a just and equitable manner to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, while integrating technology transfer, digital innovation, and inclusive development into all aspects of climate action.

‘Climate crisis is our daily reality’

Representing Nepal at the summit, government officials reaffirmed the country’s leadership in nature conservation and sustainable development despite its negligible carbon footprint.

“Nearly 46 percent of Nepal’s land remains under forest cover, protected in partnership with local communities and Indigenous Peoples,” Nepal’s statement read. “Home to Mount Everest and the Himalayas, our country sustains vital ecosystems that provide clean air and fresh water to billions downstream,” said Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment.

Nepal highlighted its rapid transition toward electric mobility and clean energy, and its strong policy frameworks through NDC 3.0 and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). Earlier this year, the country hosted the Sagarmatha Sambaad, a global dialogue that reinforced collective commitment to multilateralism and keeping global warming below 1.5°C.

However, the statement warned that for mountain nations like Nepal, “the climate crisis is not a future threat but a daily reality.” Over 300 lives were lost this year alone to floods, landslides, droughts, glacial lake outbursts, and forest fires intensified by extreme temperatures.

Nepal called on COP30 to deliver concrete outcomes, including the realization of the Baku–Belém Roadmap for mobilizing $1.3trn in climate finance, tripling adaptation finance, and fully operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund with simplified and direct access for vulnerable countries. “We no longer have the luxury of delay,” Nepal’s statement concluded. “Let us act now—together—to safeguard our people, their livelihoods, and our planet.”

Youths call for climate justice and inclusion

Youths have called for urgent and equitable climate action through a pre-COP30 discussion with government representatives including Madan Prasad Pariyar, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development. The dialogue “From the Himalayas to the Amazon: Understanding Climate Negotiations and Nepal’s Engagement” highlighted youth priorities and Nepal’s climate agenda, connecting voices from the Himalayas to the Amazon. For young people in Nepal, a country contributing less than 0.1 percent of global emissions yet among the most climate-vulnerable, the climate crisis is not a future concern but a lived reality. Melting glaciers, erratic rainfall, and worsening floods and droughts have already threatened livelihoods, ecosystems, and our collective future.

In Nepal, youth are already leading the way, organizing climate campaigns, promoting clean energy, and advancing resilience in communities. Yet, their inclusion in decision-making remains limited. Genuine youth participation must be institutionalized, not symbolic, so that young people are recognized as partners in shaping climate policy and solutions, they say.

The event, organized by Clean Energy Nepal, Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA), and in collaboration with other youth networks, aimed to strengthen youth understanding of international climate processes and align youth advocacy with Nepal’s national climate priorities.  “This initiative gave us the platform to translate our concerns into concrete policy recommendations. Nepalese youth are not only demanding change, we are helping shape it,” said Aakriti Dotel, Network Coordinator of NYCA.

During the meeting, youth representatives presented a joint statement outlining collective priorities for Nepal’s engagement at COP30. In their official submission to the Ministry, they urged the government to keep 1.5°C alive by upholding science-based ambition, emphasizing that every fraction of a degree matters for mountains and communities. 

They called for climate justice, prioritizing fairness for the Global South and ensuring that vulnerable nations receive support rather than debt. The statement highlighted the need for grant-based finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to enhance adaptation and resilience, alongside the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund for recovery from unavoidable climate impacts. It further called for 80 percent of climate finance to be directed toward locally led adaptation efforts.

The youths also emphasized the importance of advancing the Dushanbe Glacier Declaration 2025, integrating the mountain agenda into global policy, and institutionalizing the participation of youth, women, and Indigenous Peoples in all climate processes. Additional priorities included promoting clean energy and a just transition through renewable energy and green jobs, recognizing the linkages between climate change, health, and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), and upholding accountability and human rights in line with the ICJ ruling obligating all nations to align their actions with the 1.5°C target. 

Minister Pariyar welcomed the youth recommendations, assuring that their perspectives would be integrated into Nepal’s COP30 position. “Youth voices are vital in shaping effective climate strategies. The government will continue to create platforms for young people to contribute meaningfully to climate action,” he said.