Climate justice: Corporate capture
Climate change has emerged as a global menace to humanity and the diverse species inhabiting this precious planet. If not addressed promptly with appropriate measures, the very existence of life on Earth will be at risk.
Wealthy industrialized nations, historically responsible for emitting greenhouse gases over the past 500 years in the name of industrialization, have pledged to take robust actions to combat climate change. However, their rhetoric has largely failed to translate into meaningful policy actions on the ground. Global temperatures continue to rise at an unprecedented rate in modern human history.
From a hemispheric perspective, countries in the Global South are in a more precarious position due to the adverse impacts of climate change compared to those in the Global North. This disparity stems from various factors, including the Global North's greater adaptive capacity. However, it is crucial to note that the most marginalized and vulnerable populations, regardless of their location in the North or South, disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change. This inequity arises from prevailing social inequalities, power imbalances, and limited capacity to cope with its adverse effects. Marginalized groups in Nepal—such as women, indigenous communities, Dalits, persons with disabilities, and LGBTIQA+ individuals—are no exception. Addressing these challenges requires targeted efforts both globally and nationally, with adequate measures specifically designed to support vulnerable populations.
On the global stage, various initiatives have been undertaken to address climate change since the 1980s. The adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 marked a historic milestone, encouraging nations to adopt adaptation and mitigation strategies as two essential pillars for combating climate change. Under the UNFCCC, the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) serves as a mechanism for nations to negotiate and compromise on climate-related issues.
While critics argue that COPs have largely served to maintain the status quo for wealthy industrialized nations and fossil fuel corporations, these conferences have also produced significant milestones. The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, for instance, aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2100. The agreement includes provisions for technology transfer, net-zero carbon emissions, funding, and capacity building, grounded in the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Yet, these commitments remain largely unfulfilled by wealthy nations.
Furthermore, recent COPs have increasingly been criticized for being dominated by corporate interests, reducing them to platforms for fossil fuel negotiations rather than transformative action. For example, the president of COP28, Sultan Al-Jaber, is also the chairperson of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. Similarly, Mukhtar Babayev, president of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, has longstanding ties to the state-owned oil company SOCAR. Such conflicts of interest undermine the credibility of these conferences. It is unrealistic to expect transformative actions to tackle the climate crisis when individuals with vested interests in fossil fuels are at the helm. To restore integrity, COP leadership must be entrusted to individuals with no ties to fossil fuel industries.
The Global South, particularly vulnerable countries and communities, has consistently demanded environmental justice from the Global North. Wealthy nations, primarily responsible for historical and current greenhouse gas emissions, are being urged to compensate for this historical injustice. Key demands from the Global South include technology transfer, adequate funding for adaptation and mitigation, capacity development, and immediate greenhouse gas reductions without false promises.
At COP29, the Global South demanded $1.3trn annually from the Global North to address the climate crisis. However, the Global North committed only $300bn by 2035, distributed through a mix of loans and grants. This response is widely viewed as insufficient and unfair, violating the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities outlined in the Paris Agreement and other global frameworks. Wealthy nations must take genuine responsibility for their historical emissions by providing the necessary funds, technology transfer, and capacity-building support to the Global South.
Additionally, major fossil fuel-based economies such as China, India, Russia, and Arabian countries must also adopt cleaner technologies and drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Nepal, despite contributing a negligible 0.027 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, faces significant adverse impacts of climate change. Key sectors such as agriculture, health, water resources, tourism, and livelihoods are already bearing the brunt of these changes. Marginalized and vulnerable groups, including women, Dalits, poor communities, persons with disabilities, and LGBTIQA+ individuals, have been disproportionately affected, resulting in severe violations of their fundamental human rights to live with dignity.
In response, the Nepal government has implemented measures such as the Climate Change Policy of 2019. However, the execution of these provisions has fallen short due to various challenges, including limited financial resources, low public awareness, inadequate coordination, a lack of skilled human resources, and weak diplomatic efforts on the global stage.
To ensure climate justice, corporate influence over global negotiations must be decisively curtailed. The prevailing neoliberal economic model, which prioritizes profit over human and environmental well-being, must be restructured to focus on sustainability, human rights, and the planet's health.
Furthermore, major powers such as the United States and China must set aside their geopolitical rivalries and collaborate to address the climate crisis. Nepal, despite being a minor emitter, must adopt resourceful and skilled negotiation strategies to secure climate justice on the global stage while implementing domestic measures to safeguard its vulnerable populations.
The climate crisis demands urgent and collective action. Wealthy nations and major emitters must honor their commitments and take bold steps toward a sustainable future. For countries like Nepal, the focus should remain on fostering resilience, advocating for justice, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.
All set for 2025
New Year means a fresh new start. It means you get a do-over, a change to right the wrongs and give your life the revival it needs for it to be more enriching and uplifting. We all make elaborate plans for the new year. We promise ourselves that this year we will live our best lives by doing all the things we have always wanted to do. Two weeks into the new year, we are struggling to keep up with the resolutions, have given up on quite a few, and, slowly but surely, falling back into our old ways.
Are we destined for another year of the same old cycle or can 2025 be different? We can’t do the same thing again and again and expect different results so get ready to deviate from your usual routine and style. We assure you, you will be able to stay on top of your resolutions this way.
Rule #1: Set realistic goals
Resolutions fail because they aren’t realistic. You can’t expect to lose five kilos in a month or wake up at 6:00 am and exercise for an hour every day if you haven’t been doing so for a long time. Sudden changes in your routine is only going to disrupt your lifestyle so make sure you are setting achievable goals. Instead of trying to lose five kilos in a month, aim for two kilos. If you are accustomed to waking up at eight, try getting up half an hour early for a few days and exercising for 20 minutes to start with.
Rule #2: Break down your resolutions
Oftentimes, our resolutions are too broad and not well defined. This makes them vague and open to interpretation and tweaks. It’s a good idea to break down your resolutions to actionable plans if you want to ensure you incorporate them into your lifestyle. Write down a step by step plan of your resolutions and approach them one at a time. For example, if your resolution is to read more, map out how exactly you are going to do that. Say you will read one newspaper article on day one, five pages of a book on day two and build up from there. The idea is to make bite-sized resolutions of your goals to ensure they get done.
Rule #3: Get a resolutions partner
Sharing resolutions with a friend or a family member is one way of making sure you both stick to them. For example, you want to learn a new language. If you have a friend who also has the same goal then you can take classes together and make sure you stick to it. You can hold each other accountable. If you want to go to the gym, a fitness buddy is sure to motivate you to wake up an hour early and exercise. If you want to eat healthy, then you can make a pact with your partner or parent to stop eating anything with added sugar in it for a month. Having a partner who shares the same resolution(s) as you will motivate you to be disciplined.
Rule #4: Be gentle and allow room for mistakes
The problem with resolutions is that we are too strict and make overly ambitious ones.
When you are making resolutions for the new year, allow room for mistakes. Don’t let one misstep make you give up on the goal altogether. Understand that you will falter and there will be hiccups. Just don’t let those stop you from continuing on your journey. If you skip a day at the gym, make sure you restart your fitness journey from the next day. Don’t let one mistake ruin your process. One of the main reasons why resolutions fail is because we allow no room for error. But being gentle with ourselves and giving ourselves multiple chances to do something is a better way to make a lifestyle change than being too rigid by leaving no room for mistakes.
Rule #5: Plan and start ahead
New Year resolutions start on January 1. And that is perhaps the worst thing we can do while trying to change our lives. We can’t expect to be a certain way and follow a particular schedule and then try to do a complete overhaul in less than 24 hours. It’s just not practical and possible. So, don’t wait until the last minute to make new year resolutions. Start a week or two early and take it slow. If you have waited till Dec 30 or 31 to make your resolutions, give yourself a week or two to ease into the new lifestyle. The key is to take things slow and ease into it rather than rushing into it and abandoning your resolutions mid way because they feel unachievable.
How can the media thrive?
Nirmala Sharma has been elected as the President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). Securing 4,282 votes, she became the first woman to lead the media organization. This has revamped the organizations’ profile as well as sparked hope among journalists that the FNJ will work for a prosperous media landscape in Nepal. ApEx talked to three young journalists from different media houses about their concerns and expectations.
Sanskriti Pokharel, 20, The Kathmandu Post
I believe in press freedom and I expect FNJ to focus on engaging with local journalists and communities to address the specific challenges they face in remote and conflict-affected areas. FNJ should also provide safety training to journalists as that can ensure fearless reporting. FNJ could establish mentorship programs pairing experienced journalists with young journalists to foster knowledge sharing. As someone young navigating this field, I also see immense value in FNJ leveraging partnerships with media houses and academic institutions to provide scholarships, internships, and global exposure. I feel that a diverse media landscape leads to richer, more inclusive storytelling. Acknowledging and highlighting the contributions of journalists from diverse backgrounds and age can inspire others and shift perceptions about who can succeed in the field.
Sara Pahari, 22, myRepublica
FNJ should prioritize creating a secure environment for journalists, especially for those reporting from conflict zones or covering sensitive issues. This includes advocating for stronger laws to protect press freedom, journalists’ rights and providing legal support for journalists facing threats. It’s also important to establish crisis response mechanisms to address immediate risks. It can also partner with media houses and international organizations to offer scholarships or fellowships for advanced learning. This would make a difference in enhancing skills and career growth. FNJ needs to be proactive in guiding journalists on adapting to new technologies while addressing issues like misinformation, plagiarism, and ethical dilemmas in digital reporting. I’d love to see FNJ push for more inclusive policies within media organizations, ensuring fair representation of women, young journalists, and those from marginalized communities. Promoting leadership opportunities and recognizing diverse voices can create a more equitable and innovative media sector.
Tenging Dolma Tamang, 24, MakaluKhabar
In Nepal, although there is press freedom, journalists are frequently threatened and assaulted. Many journalists feel unsafe because of the news they report. In most cases involving the safety of journalists, the FNJ seems to merely draw the attention of the concerned individuals or authorities. When no action is taken against those responsible, attacks on journalists continue. So, the FNJ must go beyond just drawing attention and take decisive action to uphold press freedom and protect journalists. I believe there is a lot of nepotism and favoritism, and journalism is often misused. FNJ must look into this and encourage and reward those who genuinely practice good journalism, rather than favoring those aligned with political ideologies. The FNJ should introduce programs aimed at building the capacity of these groups. They should reward journalists who highlight issues concerning youth, women, and marginalized communities.
After all, we share the same blood
What defines a human being? Why do we keep building walls when we can build bridges? Zanele Muholi, a South African activist who uses her art to highlight the beauty of black LGBTIQA+ women, once said that “If I wait for someone else to validate my existence, it will mean that I’m shortchanging myself.”
In Nepal, intersex and gender-diverse individuals often experience humiliating names across regions. In the mountains, they are called Fulu fulu, Singaru in the Western hills, and Maugiya or Kothi in the Tarai region. Additionally, terms like Hijada and Chakka seem to be more common, which is beyond inappropriate and hurtful. Why label someone when you can simply honor them as humans?
From ancient scriptures to modern movements, the acceptance of gender and sexual diversity have deep roots.
LGBTIQA+ in Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology has recognized gender diversity and same-sex love for centuries. For example, Shikhandi, an important character in the Mahabharata, was born a woman but became a man to fulfill a divine purpose and played a key role in the Kurukshetra war. Next, the concept of Ardhanarishvara, a composite form of Shiva and Parvati, symbolizes the unity of masculine and feminine energies, challenging societal gender norms. Similarly, Lord Vishnu’s transformation into Mohini highlights the idea of gender fluidity, including a union with Shiva that birthed Lord Ayyappa. The cultural celebration of such themes is evident in the Koovagam festival in Tamil Nadu, which honors Aravan and is actively embraced by transgender communities.
Greek mythology
One of the tragic love stories of Apollo and Hyacinthus represent prominent figures of same-sex marriage.The god of music and the sun, Apollo is considered the patron of same-sex love. He had many male lovers and was invited to bless homosexual unions. Hyacinthus, the lover of Apollo, was a Spartan youth. Moreover, Plato’s Symposium, a timeless philosophical work resonates deeply with the LGBTIQA+ community and embraces the idea of love and connection beyond gender. The subject of homoeroticism has been discussed where Plato’s characters accept the norms of that time surrounding homosexual love.
Chinese mythology
In Chinese mythology, the Taoist principle of Yin and Yang emphasizes balance and harmony, transcending rigid binaries of gender and sexuality. Taoist practice resolves the “homosexuality & religion” conflict. Taoism teaches: Not every question should have an answer. Moreover, in classical Chinese opera, such as Peking opera, the practice of cross-dressing, where male actors play female roles, is prevalent and can be interpreted as a form of representation for LGBTIQA+ themes. This art instantly promotes Chinese society to legalize same sex marriages.
American mythology
Rainbow Flag, created by Gilbert Baker in 1978, has become a powerful symbol of LGBTIQA+ pride and engulfed into American mythology. Many native American cultures, including the Navajo, Lakota, and Zuni (Native American tribes), have recognized the existence of Two-Spirit individuals, believed to embody both masculine and feminine qualities. Also, although Mulan is a Chinese legend, in the context of American mythology and queer narrative, her story has been reinterpreted as a tale of gender nonconformity and identity fluidity.
African mythology
Esu as a god of communication and trickery in Yoruba mythology, is a figure who often defies gender norms. Esu embodies fluidity, as he can be portrayed in male or female form, challenging traditional understandings of identity and power. He appears in many African American folktales and has been reinterpreted by modern queer theorists to celebrate non-binary identities.
Across cultures, the acceptance of sexual diversity is not new. So, instead of dividing ourselves, why not we become humans and share humanity? After all, don’t we share the same red blood?
