The second session of the Third Pole Series took place on 27th November, Thursday at CNI, Trade Tower Thapathali. The session titled “Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Solar Energy in Nepal”, was facilitated by Ms. Arati Khadgi, Head of Climate & Energy program, WWF Nepal. The session was opened by Ms. Merina Ranjit, COO, Chaudhary Foundation, followed by opening remarks by Mr. Ghanashyam Ojha, DG, CNI.

Presentations were given by Mr. Mewang Gyeltshen, Senior Renewable Energy Specialist, ICIMOD and Mr. Kushal Gurung, Founder & CEO, WindPower Nepal. Their presentations covered matters on solar and renewable energy at national as well as global scale. The facilitated discussion led by Ms. Khadgi resulted in discussions on pertinent matters regarding challenges faced by the private sector and how actions are taken to tackle some of the issues. The participants also strengthened the discussion by providing remarks and inputs they’ve faced while adopting solar energy.

The session concluded with the takeaways that in the face of climate crisis, solar energy is the reliable energy source and given that Nepal receives more than 300 days of sunshine, it has huge potential to contribute to the national economy. All the panels and participants agreed that it is high time for the national policies and procedures to algin with growing demands and create space for collaboration between private sector, development partners and concerned government agencies.