According to experts, the losses, which began around 2004, are the direct result of increasing pest and disease attacks, erratic rainfall, windstorms, droughts, flash floods and landslides.

The UNDP report is the third National Human Development Report for Bhutan, entitled “Sustaining Progress: Rising to the Climate Challenge” and it warns that melting of the country’s glaciers can lead to water shortages in the future and jeopardize the hydropower sector, which the economy is dependent on.Īgriculture experts have also warned recently that they are concerned at increasing crop losses in Bhutan in recent years, which are attributable to global warming.

The Himalayan country, Bhutan, has maintained its status as a net sink for greenhouse gases (GHGs) by applying an export ban on unprocessed forest timber and by constitutionally protecting 60% of the country’s forest cover. Costa Rica, Norway, Iceland, Maldives, New Zealand, Tuvalu and Vatican City. New Zealand wants to be the first CO2 neutral country.Īs I read in a UN Development Programme (UNDP) report that Bhutan has committed to environmental conservation and to remain a carbon neutral country, I wondered if there are countries that are already carbon neutral! There are many initiatives out there that seek to assist individuals, businesses and states in reducing their carbon footprint or achieving climate neutrality, so I carried out databases searches and found a few countries that have pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2020 to 2030, i.e.

Carbon neutral country