This country isn't just carbon neutral — it's carbon negative | Tshering Tobgay

Summary

In this insightful talk, a Bhutanese representative highlights the nation's unique approach to development, emphasizing 'Gross National Happiness' over economic growth. Bhutan's commitment to carbon neutrality is underscored by its rich biodiversity, constitutional environmental mandates, and innovative conservation efforts like 'Bhutan For Life'. The speaker dreams of a global initiative, 'Earth For Life', to support sustainable practices worldwide, urging collective action against climate change.

Takeaways

• 👕 The speaker humorously clarifies that their attire is Bhutan's national dress, the 'gho', worn by men, and contrasts it with the women's national dress.
• 🏞 Bhutan is a small, underdeveloped country located in the Himalayas, situated between China and India, striving to survive and thrive with a population of around 700,000.
• 🤴 The country's progress is attributed to its enlightened monarchs who have pursued a balanced approach to development, emphasizing 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH) over Gross National Product.
• 💡 GNH is a holistic development approach that prioritizes happiness and well-being, guiding all development in Bhutan since the 1970s.
• 🌱 Bhutan's constitution mandates a minimum of 60% forest cover, which currently stands at 72%, making it a global biodiversity hotspot and contributing to its carbon neutrality.
• 🌳 Bhutan is carbon negative, with its forests absorbing more CO2 than the country emits, and it exports renewable energy, offsetting significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in neighboring regions.
• 🔋 Bhutan is committed to remaining carbon neutral through various initiatives, including providing free electricity to rural farmers, investing in sustainable transport, and government efforts to go paperless.
• 🌳 The country's protected areas, connected by biological corridors, are central to its carbon neutral strategy, allowing wildlife to roam freely across the landscape.
• 💰 Bhutan For Life is a funding initiative aimed at securing financial support for the protection of Bhutan's natural environment until the government can fully fund these efforts independently.
• 🌍 The speaker proposes the idea of 'Earth For Life', a global fund to replicate the Bhutan For Life model in other countries to conserve their protected areas.
• 🤝 The speech concludes with a call to action for collective global efforts to combat climate change and protect the planet, emphasizing unity despite cultural differences.

Q & A

What is the traditional dress of Bhutanese men called, and what makes it unique?

The traditional dress of Bhutanese men is called a 'gho'. It is unique because it allows men to wear bright colors and show off their legs, similar to the women's traditional dress but with a distinctive flair.

What is Bhutan's approach to development known as, and what does it emphasize?

Bhutan's approach to development is known as 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH), which emphasizes a holistic development that balances economic growth with social development, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation within the framework of good governance.

Why is Bhutan referred to as carbon negative rather than carbon neutral?

Bhutan is referred to as carbon negative because its forests sequester more than three times the amount of carbon dioxide the country generates, making it a net carbon sink for more than four million tons of carbon dioxide each year.

How does Bhutan's constitution ensure environmental sustainability?

Bhutan's constitution mandates that a minimum of 60 percent of the country's total land must remain under forest cover at all times, ensuring environmental sustainability.

What is the significance of Bhutan's free education and healthcare system in relation to its small economy?

Despite having a small economy, Bhutan provides free education and healthcare to all citizens, reflecting its commitment to the core mission of GNH, which is development with values.

How did Bhutan's king impose democracy on the country?

Bhutan's king imposed democracy by including it in the constitution, even though the people did not demand it. He also included provisions for the people to impeach their kings and for kings to retire at the age of 65.

What is the purpose of Bhutan For Life, and how does it function?

Bhutan For Life is a funding mechanism designed to protect Bhutan's parks until the government can fully finance the conservation efforts. It aims to raise a transition fund from individual donors, corporations, and institutions, with the deal closing only after predetermined conditions are met and all funds are committed.

What is the concept of 'Earth For Life' proposed by the speaker, and what is its goal?

The concept of 'Earth For Life' is a global fund proposed to replicate the Bhutan For Life idea in other countries, aiming to conserve protected areas worldwide. It seeks to mobilize leadership, resources, influence, and passion to support countries facing similar environmental challenges.

How does Bhutan plan to remain carbon neutral, and what are some of the initiatives mentioned in the script?

Bhutan plans to remain carbon neutral through various initiatives such as providing free electricity to rural farmers to reduce firewood use, investing in sustainable transport and subsidizing electric vehicles, subsidizing LED lights, going paperless in government operations, and implementing national programs like Clean Bhutan and Green Bhutan.

What is the impact of climate change on Bhutan, and how is the country addressing it?

Climate change has led to the melting of glaciers in Bhutan, causing flash floods and landslides, and resulting in widespread destruction. To address this, Bhutan has committed to remaining carbon neutral, investing in renewable energy, and protecting its environment through various conservation efforts.

What is the role of the World Wildlife Fund in Bhutan's conservation efforts, as mentioned in the script?

The World Wildlife Fund is the principal partner of Bhutan in its conservation journey, assisting in the country's efforts to protect its environment and maintain its status as a carbon-negative nation.

Outlines

00:00

👕 Bhutan's Unique Culture and Carbon Neutral Commitment

The speaker humorously addresses the audience by clarifying that their traditional attire, the 'gho', is not a dress and discusses the vibrant colors and unique features of Bhutanese national dress. They then transition to the main topic of Bhutan's commitment to remaining carbon neutral, setting the context by describing Bhutan as a small, underdeveloped country nestled in the Himalayas, situated between China and India. The speaker outlines the country's unique approach to development, known as 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH), which prioritizes happiness and well-being over economic growth. This approach is exemplified by the free education and healthcare provided to all citizens. The speaker also highlights the cultural pride in Bhutan's traditions, including the national dress, and the country's successful efforts to maintain a flourishing environment and culture without compromising economic growth.

05:00

🌳 Bhutan's Environmental Stewardship and Carbon Negative Status

This paragraph delves into Bhutan's environmental policies and achievements, emphasizing the country's high forest cover and constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60% of its land under forest cover perpetually. The speaker shares the趣事 that Bhutan's king imposed democracy on the nation, including provisions for the king's impeachment and mandatory retirement at 65. The country's pristine forests contribute to its status as a global biodiversity hotspot and its unique position as a carbon negative country, absorbing more carbon dioxide than it emits. The speaker also mentions Bhutan's export of renewable energy, which offsets significant carbon emissions in neighboring countries. However, the impacts of climate change, such as melting glaciers and natural disasters, are already affecting Bhutan, despite its minimal contribution to global warming.

10:06

🌍 Bhutan's Global Commitment to Carbon Neutrality

The speaker recounts Bhutan's pledge to remain carbon neutral, first made in 2009 at COP 15 in Copenhagen and reiterated at COP 21 in Paris. This time, the commitment was acknowledged, reflecting a global recognition of the urgency to combat climate change. The paragraph outlines various initiatives Bhutan is undertaking to achieve carbon neutrality, such as providing free electricity to rural farmers, investing in sustainable transport, promoting electric vehicles, and government efforts to reduce paper use. The speaker also discusses the 'Clean Bhutan' and 'Green Bhutan' national programs aimed at maintaining cleanliness and increasing tree cover. The core of Bhutan's carbon neutral strategy lies in its protected areas, which serve as carbon sinks and are interconnected through biological corridors, allowing wildlife to roam freely across the country.

15:07

💼 Bhutan For Life: Securing Environmental Conservation Funding

In this final paragraph, the speaker introduces 'Bhutan For Life', a funding mechanism designed to support Bhutan's protected areas until the government can fully finance conservation efforts. The initiative aims to raise a transition fund from individual donors, corporations, and institutions, with a unique structure that ensures funding is only released once a predetermined amount is secured, inspired by the 'multi-party, single closing' approach from Wall Street. The speaker expresses excitement about the nearing closure of the fund and acknowledges the World Wildlife Fund as a key partner in Bhutan's environmental endeavors. The speaker concludes with a dream of extending the 'Bhutan For Life' concept globally through 'Earth For Life', inviting the audience to join in the collective effort to protect the planet's future.

Keywords

💡Gho

The 'gho' is the national dress of Bhutan worn by men, characterized by its vibrant colors and distinctive feature of exposing the legs. It symbolizes the cultural identity of the Bhutanese people and is a point of pride for the speaker, who wears it with honor. The term is used to highlight Bhutan's unique cultural practices and to contrast them with other nations' attire.

💡Gross National Happiness (GNH)

GNH is a holistic approach to development in Bhutan that prioritizes the happiness and well-being of its citizens over economic growth alone. It was introduced by the fourth king of Bhutan in the 1970s and has since guided the country's development policies. GNH is central to the video's theme, illustrating Bhutan's commitment to sustainable and value-driven growth.

💡Carbon Neutral

Being 'carbon neutral' means that a country's net carbon dioxide emissions are zero, often achieved by balancing emissions with an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide removal, such as through forests. The concept is integral to the video's message, as Bhutan's commitment to remaining carbon neutral showcases its environmental leadership and contribution to global climate efforts.

💡Biodiversity Hotspot

A 'biodiversity hotspot' refers to a region with a high level of biodiversity that is under threat. Bhutan is described as one of the few remaining global biodiversity hotspots, emphasizing the country's rich natural environment and the importance of its conservation efforts in maintaining this biodiversity.

💡Renewable Electricity

The term 'renewable electricity' is used in the context of Bhutan's efforts to generate and export clean energy from its rivers. This not only contributes to Bhutan's carbon neutrality but also helps offset carbon emissions in neighboring countries, illustrating the video's focus on sustainable energy solutions.

💡Hydropower

Hydropower is a form of renewable energy generated by the force of flowing water. The script mentions Bhutan's potential to harness hydropower to generate clean energy, which would significantly offset carbon dioxide emissions. This highlights the country's strategy to leverage its natural resources for environmental sustainability.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is a central theme in the video, referring to the long-term shifts in global weather patterns. The speaker discusses the impact of climate change on Bhutan, such as melting glaciers and the resulting environmental disasters, emphasizing the urgency and importance of global action against climate change.

💡Glacier Lakes

Glacier lakes are bodies of water formed by the melting of glaciers. The script uses the example of glacier lakes in Bhutan to illustrate the direct consequences of climate change, such as the creation of new lakes from what were once solid glaciers, and the potential for disaster when these lakes breach their natural dams.

💡Bhutan For Life

Bhutan For Life is a funding mechanism initiated by the King of Bhutan to support the country's environmental conservation efforts. It is designed to raise a transition fund from various sources to protect Bhutan's parks until the government can fully finance these efforts. This concept is a key part of the video's narrative on sustainable financing for environmental protection.

💡Protected Areas

Protected areas in the context of the video refer to national parks, nature reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries that are preserved to conserve ecosystems and biodiversity. Bhutan's strategy to connect these areas through biological corridors is highlighted as a core component of its carbon neutral strategy and commitment to environmental conservation.

💡Earth For Life

Earth For Life is a proposed global initiative inspired by the Bhutan For Life model. The idea is to create a fund that supports the conservation of protected areas worldwide, helping other countries facing similar environmental challenges. This concept represents the video's call to action for global cooperation in environmental sustainability.

Highlights

Speaker humorously clarifies they are not wearing a dress and discusses Bhutan's unique national dress for men and women.

Bhutan's commitment to remaining carbon neutral is highlighted as a unique national promise.

Bhutan is geographically situated between China and India, emphasizing its small size and underdeveloped status.

Introduction of 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH) as Bhutan's holistic approach to development.

GNH prioritizes happiness and well-being over Gross National Product, a philosophy established in the 1970s.

Bhutan's economy is small, with a GDP less than two billion dollars, yet provides free education and healthcare to its citizens.

Bhutan's culture is flourishing, with celebrations of art, architecture, and traditional dress.

Bhutan has the world's biggest pocket in its national dress, serving practical purposes.

72 percent of Bhutan is under forest cover, exceeding the constitutional minimum requirement.

Bhutan's forests make it a global biodiversity hotspot and contribute to its carbon negative status.

Bhutan exports renewable energy, offsetting significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in neighboring countries.

Bhutan's glaciers are melting, causing environmental disasters and highlighting the impacts of climate change.

Bhutan made a promise to remain carbon neutral at COP 15 in Copenhagen, though it went largely unnoticed.

At COP 21 in Paris, Bhutan's carbon neutrality promise gained international attention and support.

Bhutan is implementing various initiatives to remain carbon neutral, including free electricity for farmers and promoting electric vehicles.

Bhutan For Life is a funding mechanism to support the protection of Bhutan's environment until the government can fully finance it.

The World Wildlife Fund is a key partner in Bhutan's environmental conservation efforts.

The speaker proposes the idea of 'Earth For Life', a global fund to replicate Bhutan's conservation efforts worldwide.

The speech concludes with a call to action for collective global efforts in fighting climate change and protecting the planet.

Transcripts

In case you are wondering,

no, I'm not wearing a dress,

and no, I'm not saying what I'm wearing underneath.

(Laughter)

This is a gho.

This is my national dress.

This is how all men dress in Bhutan.

That is how our women dress.

Like our women,

we men get to wear pretty bright colors,

but unlike our women,

we get to show off our legs.

(Laughter)

Our national dress is unique,

but this is not the only thing that's unique about my country.

Our promise to remain carbon neutral is also unique,

and this is what I'd like to speak about today,

our promise to remain carbon neutral.

But before I proceed, I should set you the context.

I should tell you our story.

Bhutan is a small country in the Himalayas.

We've been called Shangri-La,

even the last Shangri-La.

But let me tell you right off the bat, we are not Shangri-La.

My country is not one big monastery

populated with happy monks.

(Laughter)

The reality is that there are barely 700,000 of us

sandwiched between two of the most populated countries on earth,

China and India.

The reality is that we are a small, underdeveloped country

doing our best to survive.

But we are doing OK. We are surviving.

In fact, we are thriving,

and the reason we are thriving is because we've been blessed

with extraordinary kings.

Our enlightened monarchs have worked tirelessly

to develop our country,

balancing economic growth carefully

with social development, environmental sustainability

and cultural preservation,

all within the framework of good governance.

We call this holistic approach to development

"Gross National Happiness," or GNH.

Back in the 1970s,

our fourth king famously pronounced that for Bhutan,

Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.

(Applause)

Ever since,

all development in Bhutan is driven by GNH,

a pioneering vision that aims to improve the happiness

and well-being of our people.

But that's easier said than done,

especially when you are one of the smallest economies in the world.

Our entire GDP is less than two billion dollars.

I know that some of you here are worth more --

(Laughter)

individually

than the entire economy of my country.

So our economy is small,

but here is where it gets interesting.

Education is completely free.

All citizens are guaranteed free school education,

and those that work hard are given free college education.

Healthcare is also completely free.

Medical consultation, medical treatment, medicines:

they are all provided by the state.

We manage this

because we use our limited resources very carefully,

and because we stay faithful to the core mission of GNH,

which is development with values.

Our economy is small, and we must strengthen it.

Economic growth is important,

but that economic growth must not come from undermining our unique culture

or our pristine environment.

Today, our culture is flourishing.

We continue to celebrate our art and architecture,

food and festivals,

monks and monasteries.

And yes, we celebrate our national dress, too.

This is why I can wear my gho with pride.

Here's a fun fact:

you're looking at the world's biggest pocket.

(Laughter)

It starts here,

goes around the back,

and comes out from inside here.

In this pocket

we store all manner of personal goods

from phones and wallets

to iPads, office files and books.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

But sometimes --

sometimes even precious cargo.

So our culture is flourishing,

but so is our environment.

72 percent of my country is under forest cover.

Our constitution demands that a minimum of 60 percent

of Bhutan's total land shall remain under forest cover

for all time.

(Applause)

Our constitution,

this constitution,

imposes forest cover on us.

Incidentally, our king used this constitution

to impose democracy on us.

You see, we the people didn't want democracy.

We didn't ask for it, we didn't demand it,

and we certainly didn't fight for it.

Instead, our king imposed democracy on us

by insisting that he include it in the constitution.

But he went further.

He included provisions in the constitution

that empower the people to impeach their kings,

and included provisions in here that require all our kings to retire

at the age of 65.

(Applause)

Fact is, we already have a king in retirement:

our previous king, the Great Fourth,

retired 10 years ago

at the peak of his popularity.

He was all of 51 years at that time.

So as I was saying,

72 percent of our country is under forest cover,

and all that forest is pristine.

That's why we are one of the few remaining

global biodiversity hotspots in the world,

and that's why we are a carbon neutral country.

In a world that is threatened with climate change,

we are a carbon neutral country.

Turns out, it's a big deal.

Of the 200-odd countries in the world today,

it looks like we are the only one

that's carbon neutral.

Actually, that's not quite accurate.

Bhutan is not carbon neutral.

Bhutan is carbon negative.

Our entire country generates 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide,

but our forests, they sequester more than three times that amount,

so we are a net carbon sink

for more than four million tons of carbon dioxide each year.

But that's not all.

(Applause)

We export most of the renewable electricity

we generate from our fast-flowing rivers.

So today, the clean energy that we export

offsets about six million tons of carbon dioxide in our neighborhood.

By 2020, we'll be exporting enough electricity

to offset 17 million tons of carbon dioxide.

And if we were to harness even half our hydropower potential,

and that's exactly what we are working at,

the clean, green energy that we export

would offset something like 50 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

That is more CO2 than what the entire city of New York generates in one year.

So inside our country, we are a net carbon sink.

Outside, we are offsetting carbon.

And this is important stuff.

You see, the world is getting warmer,

and climate change is a reality.

Climate change is affecting my country.

Our glaciers are melting,

causing flash floods and landslides,

which in turn are causing disaster and widespread destruction in our country.

I was at that lake recently.

It's stunning.

That's how it looked 10 years ago,

and that's how it looked 20 years ago.

Just 20 years ago, that lake didn't exist.

It was a solid glacier.

A few years ago, a similar lake

breached its dams

and wreaked havoc in the valleys below.

That destruction was caused by one glacier lake.

We have 2,700 of them to contend with.

The point is this:

my country and my people have done nothing

to contribute to global warming,

but we are already bearing the brunt of its consequences.

And for a small, poor country, one that is landlocked and mountainous,

it is very difficult.

But we are not going to sit on our hands doing nothing.

We will fight climate change.

That's why we have promised to remain carbon neutral.

We first made this promise in 2009

during COP 15 in Copenhagen,

but nobody noticed.

Governments were so busy arguing with one another

and blaming each other for causing climate change,

that when a small country raised our hands and announced,

"We promise to remain carbon neutral for all time,"

nobody heard us.

Nobody cared.

Last December in Paris,

at COP 21, we reiterated our promise

to remain carbon neutral for all time to come.

This time, we were heard.

We were noticed, and everybody cared.

What was different in Paris was that governments came round together

to accept the realities of climate change,

and were willing to come together and act together and work together.

All countries, from the very small to the very large,

committed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

says that if these so-called intended commitments are kept,

we'd be closer to containing global warming

by two degrees Celsius.

By the way,

I've requested the TED organizers here

to turn up the heat in here by two degrees,

so if some of you are feeling warmer than usual,

you know who to blame.

It's crucial that all of us keep our commitments.

As far as Bhutan is concerned,

we will keep our promise to remain carbon neutral.

Here are some of the ways we are doing it.

We are providing free electricity to our rural farmers.

The idea is that, with free electricity, they will no longer have to use firewood

to cook their food.

We are investing in sustainable transport

and subsidizing the purchase of electric vehicles.

Similarly, we are subsidizing the cost of LED lights,

and our entire government is trying to go paperless.

We are cleaning up our entire country through Clean Bhutan, a national program,

and we are planting trees throughout our country

through Green Bhutan,

another national program.

But it is our protected areas

that are at the core of our carbon neutral strategy.

Our protected areas are our carbon sink.

They are our lungs.

Today, more than half our country is protected,

as national parks, nature reserves

and wildlife sanctuaries.

But the beauty is that we've connected them all with one another

through a network of biological corridors.

Now, what this means

is that our animals are free to roam throughout our country.

Take this tiger, for example.

It was spotted at 250 meters above sea level

in the hot, subtropical jungles.

Two years later, that same tiger

was spotted near 4,000 meters

in our cold alpine mountains.

Isn't that awesome?

(Applause)

We must keep it that way.

We must keep our parks awesome.

So every year, we set aside resources to prevent poaching, hunting,

mining and pollution in our parks,

and resources to help communities who live in those parks

manage their forests,

adapt to climate change,

and lead better lives while continuing to live in harmony with Mother Nature.

But that is expensive.

Over the next few years, our small economy won't have the resources

to cover all the costs that are required to protect our environment.

In fact, when we run the numbers,

it looks like it'll take us at least 15 years

before we can fully finance all our conservation efforts.

But neither Bhutan,

nor the world

can afford to spend 15 years going backwards.

This is why His Majesty the King

started Bhutan For Life.

Bhutan For Life gives us the time we need.

It gives us breathing room.

It is essentially a funding mechanism

to look after our parks,

to protect our parks,

until our government can take over on our own fully.

The idea is to raise a transition fund

from individual donors, corporations and institutions,

but the deal is closed only after predetermined conditions are met

and all funds committed.

So multiparty, single closing:

an idea we borrowed from Wall Street.

This means that individual donors can commit without having to worry

that they'll be left supporting an underfunded plan.

It's something like a Kickstarter project,

only with a 15-year time horizon

and millions of tons of carbon dioxide at stake.

Once the deal is closed,

we use the transition fund to protect our parks,

giving our government time to increase our own funding gradually

until the end of the 15-year period.

After that, our government guarantees full funding forever.

We are almost there.

We expect to close later this year.

Naturally, I'm pretty excited.

(Applause)

The World Wildlife Fund is our principle partner in this journey,

and I want to give them a big shoutout

for the excellent work they are doing in Bhutan

and across the world.

(Applause)

Whew, it is getting warm in here.

I thank you for listening to our story,

a story of how we are keeping our promise to remain carbon neutral,

a story of how we are keeping our country pristine,

for ourselves, our children,

for your children and for the world.

But we are not here to tell stories, are we?

We are here to dream together.

So in closing, I'd like to share one more dream that I have.

What if we could mobilize our leadership and our resources,

our influence and our passion,

to replicate the Bhutan For Life idea to other countries

so that they too

can conserve their protected areas for all time.

After all, there are many other countries who face the same issues that we face.

They too have natural resources

that can help win the world's fight for sustainability,

only they may not have the ability to invest in them now.

So what if we set up Earth For Life,

a global fund, to kickstart the Bhutan For Life throughout the world?

I invite you to help me,

to carry this dream beyond our borders

to all those who care about our planet's future.

After all, we're here to dream together,

to work together,

to fight climate change together, to protect our planet together.

Because the reality is

we are in it together.

Some of us might dress differently,

but we are in it together.

Thank you very much,

and kadrin chhe la. Thank you.

(Applause)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.