BYN BlackYak holds Namche Summit to spotlight Himalayan climate crisis

BYN BlackYak Group announced Monday that it held the "Himalaya Climate Charter 2026 — Namche Summit" in Namche Bazaar, Nepal, on June 1 local time.

The event was co-organized with three Nepalese partners: the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, the Nepal Mountaineering Association and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality. The Himalaya Climate Charter is the world's first mountain-based climate action initiative, founded by BlackYak in Kathmandu in 2025. It aims to position the Himalayas as the front line of the global climate crisis and to build international solidarity and action for the preservation of mountain environments.

This year's event moved the venue from Kathmandu to Namche, situated at 3,440 meters above sea level, reflecting the group's commitment to confronting the climate crisis on the ground and translating awareness into action. The Himalayas face growing ecological threats from global warming, including declining snowfall, flooding of farmland and waste left by trekkers. BlackYak plans to launch field-based cleanup and restoration projects in the Himalayas starting next year.

"The village of Thame, which suffered severe damage from a glacial lake outburst in 2024, is a stark example of how the Himalayan climate crisis is already threatening people's lives," BlackYak Chairman Kang Tae-sun said. "We will go beyond discussion and declarations to expand support and solidarity for real change on the ground in the Himalayas."

Meanwhile, BlackYak published its first sustainability report, the "2025 BYN BLACKYAK Responsibility Report." The report covers the group's Himalaya Climate Charter activities, environmental cleanup trekking initiatives, efforts to develop sustainable products and plans to introduce a circular economy model.