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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Nina Lakhani Climate justice reporter

Bhutan PM on leading the first carbon-negative nation: ‘The wellbeing of our people is at the centre of our agenda’

Fields on the slopes of a valley in Bhutan
Bhutan has a population of 750,000 people, about half of whom are subsistence farmers. Photograph: Rui T Guedes/Getty Images/500px

The wealthy western countries most responsible for the climate crisis would improve the health and happiness of their citizens by prioritising environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth, according to the prime minister of Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative nation.

Bhutan, a Buddhist democratic monarchy and biodiversity hotspot situated high in the eastern Himalayas, is among the world’s most ambitious climate leaders thanks to its people’s connection with nature and a strong political focus on improving gross national happiness rather than just GDP, Tshering Tobgay told the Guardian.

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