Climate Change, Energy Transition, and SDGs: A Holistic Approach to Nepal’s Sustainable Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n10.020Keywords:
Climate change, energy transition, Global North-South collaboration, SDGsAbstract
Urgent action is required to address climate change and its impacts to facilitate a successful energy transition. The SDGs aim to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030. This study examines the interconnections between climate change, energy transition, and SDGs implementation, with a particular focus on Global North-South collaboration and its implications for Nepal. Using a systematic literature review and expert consultations. The study highlights Nepal’s energy challenges, including low per-capita electricity consumption and heavy reliance (70%) on traditional biomass fuels, which pose risks to public health and environmental sustainability. Glacial melt and extreme weather threaten Nepal’s energy security, despite hydropower’s potential for self-sufficiency. Disparities in climate policy commitments between the Global North and South remain a significant challenge; while the North, responsible for 92% of global greenhouse gas emissions, advocates for collective mitigation efforts, the South demands diverse and context-specific solutions. The study finds that energy transition plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change by reducing emissions, thereby advancing the SDGs. However, Nepal requires an estimated $47.5 billion in climate finance from the Global North. Achieving sustainable development requires global cooperation, effective climate financing, knowledge transfer, and a robust international framework underpinned by solidarity.
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