Nepal

NDC Status

Nepal submitted its third NDC in May 2025 

Key highlights from the NDC

• Nepal’s third NDC is a continuation and expansion of previous efforts. It is also aligned with the efforts in the country’s Long-term Strategy for Net-zero Emissions (LTS) (2021) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.  
• The NDC raises mitigation targets to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 17.12 percent in 2030 and by 26.79 percent in 2035, compared to a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario.  
• Nepal’s adaptation priorities are aligned with its National Adaptation Plan (NAP). The adaptation component of the NDC highlights the critical need for financing to implement key adaptation measures such as an Early Warning System, Integrated Watershed Management, and Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk Reductions, among others. The total cost of NDC’s adaptation priorities from 2025 to 2035 are estimated to be in the range of US$ 18 to 20 billion, expected to be met from international climate finance and support.
• The third NDC also includes a dedicated section on Loss and Damage that highlighted estimated loss reaching $345 million to Nepal's physical infrastructure, social sectors and productive industries.  
• Nature and biodiversity are included in the NDC through commitments to maintain at least 46 percent forest cover and expand sustainable forest management, as well as to integrate REDD+ to conserve ecosystems and enhance carbon sinks. There is also a dedicated section on Just Transition and Human Rights.
• The NDC is costed and the total estimated costs of the quantified mitigation targets is $73.74 billion. Nepal will strategically mobilize domestic and international resources, while prioritizing grants for adaptation, and loss and damage.  
• UNDP Nepal served as a technical coordination lead among UN agencies in the NDC development process.

NAP Status

Nepal submitted its National Adaptation Plan in 2021, having received early support from the UNDP-UNEP NAP-GSP programme in 2014. 

Nepal continues to implement its agriculture and land use priorities outlined in its NAP with support from the UNDP-FAO SCALA programme.