KABUL: The Taliban government expressed its disappointment Sunday that it was not invited to the COP30 conference despite Afghanistan being one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change.
The 30th UN Climate Change Conference opens Monday and is set to draw representatives from dozens of countries to Brazil.
Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) expressed its “deep concern over the fact that, despite Afghanistan being one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, it has unfortunately not received an official invitation” to COP30.
Last year the Taliban government, which is currently only recognized by Russia, sent a delegation to COP29 — but as a “guest” of host Azerbaijan rather than a party directly involved in the negotiations.
The Taliban authorities, which returned to power in 2021, believe that their diplomatic isolation should not prevent them from taking part in international climate talks.
“The exclusion of the Afghan people from the right to participate in this conference contradicts the principles of climate justice, global cooperation, and human solidarity,” the NEPA statement said.
Afghanistan accounts for approximately 0.06 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the countries most vulnerable to some effects of climate change, according to scientists.
About 89 percent of the population depends on agriculture for their survival, according to the UN.
“Between 2020 and 2025, Afghanistan experienced repeated droughts, severely impacting coping capacities and drastically reducing groundwater levels, in some cases by up to 30 meters,” it said in April.
Ahead of COP30, the UN said 2025 was on course to be among the hottest years ever recorded.