ع
The Global Carbon Council and Bhutan’s Department of Environment and Climate Change signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the kingdom’s preparedness for cooperative approaches under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, according to a Qatar News Agency report. The pact emphasizes capacity development, carbon market governance, methodologies, project development, registration, issuance processes and digital registry infrastructure. By supporting credible carbon market action the agreement seeks to help mobilize climate finance while preserving environmental integrity and advancing sustainable development goals.
Founding Chairman of the Global Carbon Council Dr. Yousef Alhorr highlighted Bhutan’s environmental leadership. “Bhutan has demonstrated exceptional environmental leadership through its enduring commitment to net zero. This collaboration will support the country in translating that ambition into credible and scalable carbon market action. By combining strong national ownership with high-integrity standards, methodologies, and interoperable infrastructure, we aim to help mobilize climate finance while safeguarding environmental integrity and sustainable development,” Alhorr said. The statement underscores the importance of national ownership paired with robust international standards.
Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources Karma Tshering welcomed the collaboration as a key step forward. “This collaboration represents an important step in strengthening Bhutan’s institutional and technical readiness for international carbon markets. Through capacity development, knowledge exchange, and access to credible standards and infrastructure, we aim to ensure that Bhutan’s participation in carbon markets supports national priorities, maintains environmental integrity, and contributes to sustainable development,” Tshering said. The partnership will include targeted workshops and training programs on standards, rules, project cycles and registry systems.
Under the agreement the parties will explore adoption of relevant Global Carbon Council standards and methodologies tailored to Bhutan’s domestic carbon market framework, the Qatar News Agency report stated. Such cooperation aims to build technical capabilities for developing mitigation activities that produce measurable, independently verified emission reductions and removals. The initiative aligns with Bhutan’s broader efforts to formalize its role in global carbon trading mechanisms.
Bhutan has maintained carbon negative status due to its vast forest sinks and remains compliant with its nationally determined contribution to stay carbon neutral, a Climate Action Tracker assessment found. The country first committed to carbon neutrality at the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks and later set a net zero emissions target for 2050 in its updated national plans. Bhutan has already pursued bilateral carbon market agreements, including implementation pacts with Singapore to operationalize Article 6.2 cooperation.
Carbon pricing mechanisms covered nearly 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions last year and generated more than 107 billion dollars in public budget revenues, according to the World Bank’s State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2026 report. Overall carbon credit issuances grew by 8 percent between 2024 and 2025 even as average prices moderated slightly. The Global Carbon Council operates as an independent standard focused on the Global South, offering infrastructure that can support nations such as Bhutan in scaling high-integrity projects within these expanding markets.
