This country isn't just carbon neutral — it's carbon negative
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Deep in the Himalayas, on the border between China and India, lies the Kingdom of Bhutan, which has pledged to remain carbon neutral for all time. In this illuminating talk, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shares his country's mission to put happiness before economic growth and set a world standard for environmental preservation.
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What We Can Learn from Bhutan's Consitution
Bhutan constitutionally enshrines a balance of economic growth, environmental protection, human health and well-being:
- 60% of the total land area of Bhutan must be maintained under forest cover for all time.
- Bhutan's economic development is be guided by the principle of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which emphasizes the importance of sustainable and equitable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, and conservation of the environment.
- The constitution guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to the citizens, including the right to life, liberty, and security of person, freedom of expression, and the right to education and health.
- The constitution also recognizes the importance of protecting Bhutan's unique cultural heritage and biodiversity.
What We and Other Countries Can Do to Help
Climate reparations is based on the recognition that climate change has disproportionately affected vulnerable and marginalized communities in developing countries, who are least responsible for causing the problem. Developed countries, historically, have been the largest emitters of greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming and climate change. As a result, the environmental damage caused by climate change, especially in developing countries, has resulted in significant social, economic, and environmental impacts, such as crop failures, displacement of people, and loss of livelihoods.
Climate reparations involve a range of measures to redress the disproportionate harm caused by climate change. These measures may include financial support, technology transfer, capacity building, and debt relief, often in exchange for adaptation measures. Financial support could involve direct payments from developed countries to developing countries to support their efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change, such as building climate-resilient infrastructure and investing in renewable energy. Technology transfer could involve the sharing of technologies that can help developing countries reduce their emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change. Capacity building could involve the development of skills and knowledge to enable vulnerable communities to respond to climate change.
The World Wildlife Fund has created a global fund called Earth for Life to help developing nations conserve and protect land and forests. WWF works with government leaders, public and private sector donors, NGOs, and others to secure funding that is used to cover expenses related to properly managing conservation areas, which includes protected areas, community lands, and other types of land designated for sustainable use or no development. Funds are allocated to buy boats that are used to patrol coastlines to look for people fishing illegally or to buy drones that are used to spot wildfires. Funds also are used to convene workshops to teach people about ecotourism opportunities in or near protected areas. And so much more.
Bhutan constitutionally enshrines a balance of economic growth, environmental protection, human health and well-being:
- 60% of the total land area of Bhutan must be maintained under forest cover for all time.
- Bhutan's economic development is be guided by the principle of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which emphasizes the importance of sustainable and equitable development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, and conservation of the environment.
- The constitution guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to the citizens, including the right to life, liberty, and security of person, freedom of expression, and the right to education and health.
- The constitution also recognizes the importance of protecting Bhutan's unique cultural heritage and biodiversity.
What We and Other Countries Can Do to Help
Climate reparations is based on the recognition that climate change has disproportionately affected vulnerable and marginalized communities in developing countries, who are least responsible for causing the problem. Developed countries, historically, have been the largest emitters of greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming and climate change. As a result, the environmental damage caused by climate change, especially in developing countries, has resulted in significant social, economic, and environmental impacts, such as crop failures, displacement of people, and loss of livelihoods.
Climate reparations involve a range of measures to redress the disproportionate harm caused by climate change. These measures may include financial support, technology transfer, capacity building, and debt relief, often in exchange for adaptation measures. Financial support could involve direct payments from developed countries to developing countries to support their efforts to adapt to the effects of climate change, such as building climate-resilient infrastructure and investing in renewable energy. Technology transfer could involve the sharing of technologies that can help developing countries reduce their emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change. Capacity building could involve the development of skills and knowledge to enable vulnerable communities to respond to climate change.
The World Wildlife Fund has created a global fund called Earth for Life to help developing nations conserve and protect land and forests. WWF works with government leaders, public and private sector donors, NGOs, and others to secure funding that is used to cover expenses related to properly managing conservation areas, which includes protected areas, community lands, and other types of land designated for sustainable use or no development. Funds are allocated to buy boats that are used to patrol coastlines to look for people fishing illegally or to buy drones that are used to spot wildfires. Funds also are used to convene workshops to teach people about ecotourism opportunities in or near protected areas. And so much more.
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- Speaker Tshering Tobgay
