Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal unite for climate justice, regional cooperation at COP30

Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal at the COP30 climate conference in Belem of Brazil on Tuesday called for urgent global action to safeguard the planet, strengthen regional cooperation, and protect vulnerable communities.

In a joint statement, on behalf of the three neighbouring countries, Nepal emphasised that the three South Asian nations, bound by shared geography and intertwined vulnerabilities, remained among the most climate-exposed countries in the world despite contributing the least to global emissions.

"Our three countries were united by shared geography, deep climate vulnerability, and a strong commitment to sustainable development," Nepal said. "Despite contributing least to global emissions, we continued to demonstrate high climate ambition but with limited capacity to respond."

Nepal's country representative noted that while Bhutan had already graduated from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and Bangladesh and Nepal were in the process of graduation, such progress "did not reduce our climate vulnerability nor the scale of support required to safeguard development gains."

The statement described the worsening realities across the region: rapid glacier melt in the Himalayas threatening downstream communities in Bhutan and Nepal, and rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion devastating coastal livelihoods in Bangladesh. "These were interlinked impacts," the statement read, "with melting glaciers feeding rising seas downstream, turning slow-onset changes into severe climate extremes with cascading consequences."

"Science was clear: keeping 1.5°C within reach was a matter of our survival," Nepal declared. "COP30 had to close the ambition gap in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with the first Global Stocktake and accelerate implementation. Revisiting and enhancing 2035 NDCs to align with the 1.5°C pathway was essential."

On climate finance, he urged delegates to operationalise the New Collective Quantified Goal with a clear pathway to mobilise $300 billion annually within the broader $1.3 trillion roadmap agreed in Baku. The joint statement reiterated the call to triple grant-based adaptation finance to at least $120 billion per year by 2030, ensuring simplified and direct access to funds for implementing national adaptation plans.

"Adaptation was an investment in survival and a foundation for sustainable development," Nepal stressed. "Belem had to deliver a comprehensive set of indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation and ensure support was predictable, rapid, and directly accessible."

The delegation further welcomed the Belem Implementation Mechanism and the Framework for Resilient and Locally-Driven Development, emphasising that climate justice and equitable finance were central to effective global climate governance.

Bangladesh youth delegate Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global, praised the joint initiative, saying: "This united voice from Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal sent a powerful message from the most climate-vulnerable frontlines. Our survival depended on global solidarity and stronger regional cooperation. The time for promises was over – COP30 had to deliver real action, real finance, and real accountability."

Nepal concluded with a strong appeal: "Belem had to serve as a turning point to reaffirm our shared commitment and uphold the spirit of Mutirao, the Brazilian call for collective action toward a just and sustainable future."