Nepal has sought climate compensation from major greenhouse gas-emitting countries after devastating floods and landslides left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands missing.
The Himalayan nation has argued that it is facing some of the worst consequences of climate change despite contributing only a very small share of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said that international assistance for the country’s recovery should not be viewed as charity, but as a “moral liability”. He said Nepal is paying a heavy price for a global climate crisis that it did little to create.
According to Khanal, rapid glacier melting and increasingly extreme weather events are making Nepal more vulnerable to catastrophic floods and other disasters. He said Nepal’s diplomatic approach would now move from simply “receiving aid” towards seeking “justice and compensation”.
The foreign minister identified China, India and the United States among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters and argued that these countries have a historical responsibility towards vulnerable nations facing the consequences of climate change.
Data from the European Commission’s Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research shows that China, the US, India, the European Union, Russia and Indonesia were among the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in 2024. Together, they accounted for more than 60 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Nepal’s demand comes amid growing international debate over climate justice. Developing and climate-vulnerable countries have repeatedly argued that nations that industrialised earlier and benefited from fossil fuels should provide greater financial support to countries suffering severe climate-related losses.
India has also consistently highlighted the principle of climate equity. New Delhi has maintained that climate responsibilities should take into account historical emissions, differences in development levels and the needs and capacities of individual countries. India has also called for developed nations to provide financial and technological support to developing countries dealing with climate impacts.
Experts have backed Nepal’s concerns, while also stressing the need for stronger disaster preparedness. Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk resilience expert, said vulnerable Himalayan regions need better planning and early warning systems.
Nepali climate policy expert and UN climate negotiator Manjeet Dhakal said Nepal contributes less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remains highly exposed to the effects of rising global temperatures.
The devastating floods have therefore renewed calls for climate finance, stronger disaster preparedness and urgent reductions in global carbon emissions.
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