As per the statement of an Afghan environment official, the country had to be given space to allow it to take part in global climate talks in the future after attending COP29 in Baku where Taliban officials were present for the very first time. Matiul Haq Khalis, director general of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, described the attendance of delegates as a “big achievement,” underscoring the need to voice the nation’s issues and needs on an international platform following the previous COPs not attended by the Taliban since taking power.
These were the countries with which the delegation talked: Russia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Bangladesh, among 19 organizations. Afghanistan, though it tops the risk chart internationally in terms of very low emissions, is still one of the most vulnerable countries to global warming impacts such as extended droughts, abnormal floods, and damaged productivity due to climate shifts over time.
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As per the Taliban government, “political isolation ought not preclude them from international climate change dialogues.” The country has been subjected to severe restrictions, especially on women’s participation in public life, which the United Nations has called “gender apartheid.”
The UN has called for humanitarian action within and outside Afghanistan to build a resilient country and for international negotiations with Afghanistan. Besides these, developed countries have also pledged to provide $100 billion every year until 2025 as global funding to hold and to help developing countries transform their economy away from fossil fuels and improve resilience regarding climate impacts.