Bhutan Climate Fund

Please join the Royal Government of Bhutan and thePlease join the Royal Government of Bhutan and the World Bank at COP28 for an event to introduce the Bhutan Climate Fund and kick-off the consultation process to capitalize and operationalise the fund, A first of its kind, this will aggregate and monetize Bhutan's high-integrity net negative GHG emissions at a fair price, reflecting the opportunity cost of Bhutan's remaining net negative.

Regenerative Construction Industry Vision

Nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan is renowned for iNestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan is renowned for its pristine landscapes, unique culture and traditions. Over 70% covered by carbon-sequestering forests, the country boasts extensive natural resources and diverse renewable energy sources including hydro and solar power.Regenerative construction industry vision

Thimphu Structure Plan

The Kingdom of Bhutan is nestled in the Himalayas The Kingdom of Bhutan is nestled in the Himalayas between India and China, with a population of about 750,000 people. Known for its unique philosophy of Gross National Happiness, the country’s vision for the future is driven by preserving its culture and the environment while enhancing social and economic development.

Inspiring Partnerships for Sustainable Financing of Tiger landscapes

To advance tiger conservation efforts, the “SustTo advance tiger conservation efforts, the “Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes” conference will be hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan on April 22-23, 2024 under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty The Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. The conference will be co-organized by the Tiger Conservation Coalition which includes leading organizations, including the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Fauna & Flora, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Panthera, TRAFFIC, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The two-day conference will illuminate the intersections between tiger conservation and priorities and commitments under various multilateral environmental and climate agreements. It will bring tiger range countries together with visionary private and public sector donors, international development agencies, and tiger conservation NGOs to discuss existing and new funding streams for a Global Tiger Recovery Plan that achieves landscape scale outcomes. For information about the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference, visit tiger-finance.org

Bhutan pavilion hosts summiting Challenges: Impact of Climate Change on the Mountain Economy to highlight the fragility of mountain against climate change

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenClimate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with far-reaching consequences for both the environment and human societies. Amongst all, the most vulnerable to these changes are the mountainous areas which can be affected by any change in temperature and precipitation patterns of all scales. They are also rich repositories of biodiversity, and water and act as providers of various ecosystem goods and services supporting millions of people around the world. Mountains are home to some of the world’s most threatened and endemic species, as well as to some of the poorest people. The impact of climate change manifested in the form of a changing water cycle has an irreversible impact on water availability for people and economies, contributing to increasing tensions or conflicts over water resources. More than 2 billion people largely depend on water from mountain regions, while globally two-thirds of irrigated agriculture depends on essential runoff contributions from mountains. Similarly, the increased severity and frequency of climate-induced disasters in mountain regions have led to perilous livelihood and economic losses to people. And these projections are going to sharply increase, largely driven by river floods and an increase in the number of glacial lakes with high potential for outbursts. For instances, the Understanding the intricacies of these impacts and developing strategies to mitigate them is crucial for ensuring the sustainability and resilience of mountain economies. This workshop aims to bring together experts, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the challenges posed by climate change in mountain regions and explore sustainable solutions.

The Future of Forest Carbon: New tools for High-Integrity Markets and Community Benefits

The world needs carbon credits that are scientificThe world needs carbon credits that are scientifically rigorous, independently monitored, scaleable, and trusted. The combination of high-resolution Earth observation satellites and artificial intelligence have an essential role to play in this regard, enabling the future of global, high-quality carbon measurement.This session will explore how these technologies can empower carbon market players -- from communities to government regulators to rating agencies and buyers -- with the information they need to build high-integrity projects, markets, and reporting. This session is co-organized by Planet Labs PBC and the Bhutan Foundation.

Empowering Communities, Transforming Landscapes: Leveraging Carbon Finance

This session will showcase projects that the BhutaThis session will showcase projects that the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) has been working on to leverage carbon financing to transform the rural as well as urban energy landscapes in Bhutan while uplifting livelihoods. These projects will also offer financing, capacity building and long term monitoring and services.

A conversation on Global Carbon Reward: International Policy on a New Carbon Asset

The urgency of the climate crisi calls for bold acThe urgency of the climate crisi calls for bold actions not only to bolster adaption efforts, but particularly target mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. This conversation explores alternative economic models that are proven to work and also aspire for larger impact at scale, thus getting us closer to desired climate goals more quickly.

First Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) in Asia: Bhutan for Life

Discover the pioneering Bhutan For Life (BFL) ProgDiscover the pioneering Bhutan For Life (BFL) Program — one of the first Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) models in Asia. Its mission? To establish a visionary approach for the sustainable management and protection of Bhutan's Protected Area Network system. BFL is more than a program; it's a commitment to securing financial self-sufficiency, empowering the people of Bhutan to preserve their natural heritage for future generations. With over 80 activities driving 16 milestones and four major goals, BFL uniquely integrates biodiversity conservation, community livelihood enhancement, and the fortification of social-ecological systems against climate change impacts.

The Low Emissions Transport Masterplan - a Program for Change

Clean, green and active: creating a sustainable trClean, green and active: creating a sustainable transport system for Thimphu. The Thimphu Structure Plan incorporates a new vision for the city’s transport system, one designed to offer residents, visitors and businesses better access to the places, spaces and opportunities that matter to them while reducing carbon emissions and local air pollution. The plan prioritises reliable and affordable bus-based public transport, facilitates active travel (walking and cycling) as well as more efficient goods delivery. Together, these changes will reduce transport’s contribution to Bhutan’s national greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time encourages healthier living, more liveable communities, and economic growth. Improving road safety is another expected outcome of the plan as is reducing the requirement for Thimphu residents to own and drive private cars.

Green Infrastructure, Water & Nature

Bhutan is renowned for its pristine forest landscaBhutan is renowned for its pristine forest landscapes and a strong commitment to environmental conservation, aligned with its Gross National Happiness philosophy. With over 70% of its land covered by forests, they serve as a crucial resource for the Bhutanese. The country's legislation aims to protect the environment and biodiversity, ensuring a constitutional minimum of 60% forest cover remains. Over 50% of Bhutan consists of protected areas and biological corridors. Thimphu, the capital, offers dramatic mountain landscapes, sacred peaks, and supports numerous endangered species. However, rapid and unplanned urbanisation has resulted in encroachment on the surrounding landscapes, and on the water supply and quality. During this session, we will present the green-blue infrastructure strategy and open space masterplan, which aims to address the spatial, environmental and climate change challenges that the city is facing through a series of nature-based solutions.

The Thimphu Structure Plan – a framework for delivering ‘GNH within the Doughnut’

Introducing the new Structure Plan for the capitalIntroducing the new Structure Plan for the capital city of Bhutan, this presentation and panel discussion will explore how in response to the rapid urbanization of the last 20+ years, Bhutan has developed a model framework for the delivery of a more regenerative and distributive approach to socio-economic development in the city. The clear goal is to invest in creating a place of opportunity for the benefit of the whole community; in balance with nature and inspiring to all stakeholders; integrating Gross National Happiness and the living culture of Bhutan within the principles of Doughnut Economics.

Summiting Challenges: Climate Change Impact on the Mountain Economy

Climate change poses an urgent and far-reaching thClimate change poses an urgent and far-reaching threat, impacting both the environment and societies globally. Among the most vulnerable are mountainous areas, repositories of biodiversity and water crucial for millions. Mountains host endangered species and impoverished communities, making them vital yet fragile ecosystems. The changing water cycle, a consequence of climate change, irreversibly affects water availability, contributing to conflicts over resources. Over 2 billion people rely on mountain water, and two-thirds of global irrigated agriculture depends on mountain runoff. Heightened climate-induced disasters in mountains lead to severe economic losses and perilous livelihoods. Projections indicate a sharp increase in these challenges, fueled by river floods and glacial lake outbursts. This panel convenes experts, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to tackle the complexities of climate change impacts in mountain regions.

Bhutan’s Protected Areas: “A story of Half for Nature, Half for People in harmony into the future”

The session will showcase the success of Bhutan’The session will showcase the success of Bhutan’s conservation efforts through the establishment of the protected areas system and how this system is serving for building climate resilience for Bhutan. The session will cover how Bhutan’s protected areas evolved over time to get to the international standards of management. The current Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool scores Bhutan’s protected areas at 78%. The discussion will touch on how’s Bhutan’s conservation success through the establishment of protected areas which cover more than half of its geographical area is contributing towards meeting the Global Biodiversity Targets. It will discuss on the challenges and opportunities the system faced as Bhutan embarked on scientific management of these protected areas and also how these challenges have evolved over time and now with climate change impacting these areas. It will also discuss on the importance of having sustained financing which is achieved through the establishment of an innovative conservation trust fund. The panel session will end by exploring opportunities of going beyond the borders and how transboundary protected areas could play a vital role in climate actions the impact of which goes beyond geographical boundaries.

Great People’s Forest: $1 Billion for Conserving the Eastern Himalayas

The Great People’s Forest aims to raise US$1 bilThe Great People’s Forest aims to raise US$1 billion, plant 1 billion trees and protect and restore 1 million hectares of land while placing the Eastern Himalayan ecosystem – and the 1 billion people who rely on it – on the global conservation agenda. Led by the Balipara Foundation of Assam and Conservation International, the Great People’s Forest will be delivered by a network of leading local organisations from Bhutan, Northeast India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The event will consist of a launch of the initiative in the Bhutan Pavilion as well as a panel discussion with founding members. The panel discussion will dive deep into the heart of The Great People's Forest initiative, exploring its ambitious portfolio of programs, unveiling scale plans, and projecting the impactful changes anticipated in the coming year.

Bhutan at COP28: Key Takeaways

Bhutan shines at COP28! Check out the key takeawayBhutan shines at COP28! Check out the key takeaways as Bhutan makes impactful contributions towards a sustainable future. Bhutan at COP28