A WWF charity banner was placed on top of Mount Everest by mountaineer Apa Sherpa yesterday, urging the world to take action against climate change. The banner, which read ‘Stop Climate Change – Let the Himalayas Live!’ was smashed into the snow atop Mount Everest as Sherpa completed his world record 19th climb of the formidable summit.

The call to action is to remind world leaders of their responsibility towards preserving the Himalayas, and to fight climate change at the Copenhagen Climate Summit this December. Apa also installed a sacred vase containing 400 different ingredients to restore the sanctity of the Himalayan sacred valleys against the negative effects climate change.

Director General at WWF International, James Leape, said –

Climate change is already wreaking havoc in the Himalayas and glaciers are in retreat across the range. Some scientists predict that if climate change is not controlled, the glaciers could be gone in just 25 years. This and many other climate change impacts are threatening not only the lives of people and rich biodiversity of the region, but also the development aspirations of hundreds of millions of people downstream.

Apa Sherpa has personally witnessing the changing landscapes of the Himalayas due to climate change through decades of mountaineering experience. Apa carried the WWF Banner for the Eco Everest Expedition, which is led by two-time Everest Summiteer Dawa Steven Sherpa, also a WWF Climate Witness.

WWF Nepal Country Representative, Mr. Anil Manandha, said –

WWF salutes the efforts of Apa and Dawa for taking the climate change message to the top of the world and being ambassadors for WWF’s Climate for Life campaign. Now the time has come for the world to redirect its attention towards the Himalayas.