Taliban to attend UN climate conference for the first time

A technical delegation will participate in Cop29 in Azerbaijan, according to Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency

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A Taliban fighter stands guard as people receive food rations distributed by a Chinese humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 30, 2022. Afghanistan also had the highest number of children made homeless by climate disasters of any country as of the end of 2023, according to an August report from international aid agency Save the Children. Photo: AP

Published: 7:11pm, 10 Nov 2024

The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country’s national environment agency said on Sunday.

The conference, known as Cop29, begins on Monday in Azerbaijan and is one of the most important multilateral talks to include the Taliban, who do not have official recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.

The National Environmental Protection Agency posted on X that a technical delegation had gone to Baku to participate.

Matiul Haq Khalis, the agency’s head, said the delegation would use the conference to strengthen cooperation with the international community on environmental protection and climate change, share Afghanistan’s needs regarding access to existing financial mechanisms related to climate change, and discuss adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Experts told journalists that climate change has led to numerous and negative impacts on Afghanistan, creating serious challenges because of the country’s geographical location and weak climate policies.

Afghanistan’s deputy head of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) Zainulabedin Abid during an interview. An Afghan delegation will attend the UN climate change summit in Azerbaijan, the foreign ministry spokesman said on Saturday. Photo: AFP

“Climate change has resulted in higher temperatures, which reduce water sources and cause droughts, significantly affecting agricultural activities,” said Hayatullah Mashwani, professor of environmental science at Kabul University. “The reduction in water availability and frequent droughts pose severe threats to agriculture, leading to food insecurity and challenges to livelihoods.”