The Brief: Rastra Raj Bhandari on Nepal’s Green Financing Future

Ep. Br#001 In the backdrop of Nepal’s status as the least developed country, one of Nepal's greatest challenges is to manage the natural resources and finance development interventions for Nepal’s sustainable future initiatives while navigating the risks associated with climate change. While a bulk of financing in Nepal is already happening on green infrastructure and green initiative – specifically on hydroelectricity and solar energy, there arises the question about the new opportunities and avenues that mainstreaming green financing could open for Nepal. Today’s episode of the Brief features PEI’s Saurab Lama's interview with Rastra Raj Bhandari on Nepal’s Green Financing Future. The two discuss Rastra’s latest report, “A Background Policy Paper on Green Financing in Nepal” and take an analytical look at Nepal’s green financing future, and what green financing looks like for a developing country like Nepal. The episode discusses the rationale for Rastra’s study within Nepal’s current socio-economic status and its historical dependence on foreign aid. The episode also informs listeners about the various green financing initiatives that are happening in Nepal, and the best way for Nepal to navigate green financing. It also focuses on the various roles regulatory agencies and banks and financial institutions, private and public entities can play in Nepal’s green financing strategy.