For Bhutan, carbon neutrality is easy. The kingdom’s prime minister, Tshering Tobgay explains

Tobgay is referring to the “enlightened leadership” of Bhutan’s monarchs, which is also the title of his recently published book, in which he outlines the attributes of an enlightened leader: “wisdom, courage and compassion, and having selfless service as a driving force”, he says, going on to describe how these ideas are rooted in the belief that true leadership goes beyond power and authority and is really about creating harmony between people, the environment and future generations.

Despite its title, Tobgay’s book is not a leadership manual—though there’s much leaders could learn from it. Rather, it is the story of the nation. “We know Bhutan as a champion of environmental conservation, a champion of climate action. And I thought that more people should know about this—a small country making some sacrifices, but doing the right thing way ahead of its time and persevering,” says Tobgay. “I thought the world should know a little bit about our story as a nation. In Bhutan, we’ve been fortunate to be part of a journey that is absolutely unlikely—the birth of a democracy during a time of unprecedented peace, prosperity and stability. Normally, democracies are born during times of strife and revolution or imposed by external powers. In our case, it was our king who imposed democracy on a reluctant people. A lot of this does not happen automatically, obviously. They are the results of leadership and, in this case, enlightened leadership.”

In the book, Tobgay also tells his own story. He shares how he was sent to boarding school in India at the age of five because Bhutan lacked schools, and recalls his winter breaks where he was able to return home and his family would embark on an annual migration, walking for hours amid Bhutan’s natural beauty alongside their cattle in search of warmer pastures.

Tobgay recounts returning to secondary school in Bhutan and then receiving a scholarship from the United Nations Development Programme to study in the US, choosing the University of Pittsburgh because he chanced upon an article that declared Pittsburgh the most liveable city in the US at the time. Through Tobgay’s formative years, many of which were spent away from Bhutan, a consistent theme emerges of how much he missed his beloved homeland.

Nevertheless, he still recalls the culture shock he experienced not only moving to the US but also returning to Bhutan where, armed with a degree in mechanical engineering, he was unable to find a suitable job as his skillset was irrelevant to many of his country’s needs at the time. And so, he took time to reimmerse himself in Bhutan’s culture, deepening his knowledge of the language, learning traditional folk dances and taking up the national sport of archery.

Tobgay would later go back to the US to attend the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he completed a master’s in public administration alongside Singapore’s current prime minister Lawrence Wong. Although the future of his nation was unknown at the time, this would prepare him for what was to come on his return to Bhutan in 2004, as it was starting a peaceful transition to democracy.

For Tobgay, who went on to become Bhutan’s second elected prime minister in 2013, Bhutan’s story and its many achievements are worth sharing whether that’s on the Ted stage or through his book. “If our story can inspire, that’s a job well done. I think, the world over, we need to share stories. In sharing stories, we understand,” he says. “We can empathise with each other’s unique narratives and context, rather than giving lessons and expecting everybody to follow a template that is yours, which is not doable, which is not reasonable. But we can share stories.

“If there is a lesson [that Bhutan can share], I would hazard [it] is the importance of enlightened leadership. Leaders all over the world have the wisdom to understand what our actions will do to the future of humanity. The questions are, do we have the courage [and,] more importantly, do we have the compassion to understand that in acting to implement your wisdom, you’re calling for people to make sacrifices, and do you have the compassion to understand that and to reduce suffering to the [greatest] extent possible, while effecting change as much as you can?”

Now in his second term as prime minister, has Tobgay found the balancing act between economic progress and environmental conservation more challenging?

“No.” Tobgay is emphatic. “Environmental conservation is almost in our DNA. As early as the 1970s, our fourth king, who was very young at that time, pronounced that for Bhutan, Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product. Gross National Happiness means, among other things, a balance between economic growth, which is necessary, with the conservation of the environment. And so we’ve grown up—an entire generation has grown up—not just respecting and celebrating our natural environment but with a deep-seated understanding that we are the custodians of a natural environment, and that we must nurture it and we must ensure that we hand it over to the next generation.”

So, what does this mean for other nations, who haven’t developed such a connection with and appreciation for environmental conservation, but are rapidly coming to the realisation that it’s essential for the future of our planet and the human race?

“It’s never too late, provided you start,” says Tobgay. “It will be too late if you never start.”

Bhutan is one of only three countries in the world to claim carbon negative status, alongside Panama and Suriname, while only five others claim carbon neutrality—Comoros, Gabon, Guyana, Madagascar and Niue. At the UN Climate Change Conference last November, Bhutan led the launch of an initiative called G-Zero, an alliance of carbon-neutral countries that also includes Panama, Suriname and Madagascar. “I’m very satisfied that this has been launched,” says Tobgay, hoping that they will not be a quartet for long. “The idea is that other countries would be excited about carbon neutrality and they would achieve carbon neutrality and join G-Zero.”

Part of Bhutan’s maintenance of its carbon negative status can be attributed to its dedication to the preservation of its natural environment, which in part is achieved through its unique approach to tourism. Bhutan requires tourists to pay a daily Sustainable Development Fee, which funds conservation, infrastructure and social programmes, but also naturally favours high-value, low-impact travellers over mass tourism. Tobgay adds that given the small size of Bhutan’s population—750,000—its culture is vulnerable. “We cannot allow large numbers of tourists motivated on our part by profit to risk our culture that is special for us and unique in the world. By similar measure, all the talk about sustainability and environmental conservation will be for nothing and will be a lie if we allow all-out tourism.”

Bhutan currently welcomes about 150,000 tourists a year, though can admit more. Tobgay aims to double this, given tourism’s importance for jobs, revenue and prosperity, of course all the while ensuring that balance between economic progress and conservation.

Yet maintaining balance does not mean Bhutan lacks ambition. Take Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a visionary urban development project that was unveiled in December 2023. Modelled as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) during its transitional periods like Hong Kong or Macau, the vision for GMC is for it to have its own independent government, legislature and judiciary. The urban space, set to span 2,500 sq km, an area slightly larger than Tokyo and more than three times the size of Singapore, will feature sustainable transport and energy, with the ability to generate clean energy within the confines of the city; and will be characterised by low-rises built of sustainable materials such as timber, stone and mud. The goal is for it to be a hub of knowledge and education, health, well-being and longevity, and technology and finance, integrating Gross National Happiness principles.

This big vision features in Tobgay’s book and is behind one of three key messages that the prime minister wants his readers to take away from Enlightened Leadership and from Bhutan’s story. One message is for investors, whom he wants to encourage to consider GMC as a home for their business. “If such an urban space resonates with you or if you are convinced that this should be the future of urban living in the world, come and join us. Let’s develop the city together.”

Another is for foreigners to whom he wants to offer a first peek of Bhutan, highlighting its beauty and uniqueness. “I hope that I nurture enough interest in the course of this story for them to visit us, to visit Bhutan.”

Lastly, his book holds a message for Bhutan’s youth, who Tobgay says he wrote the book for. “The message is, treasure and nurture what we have, look after it, celebrate it and make sure we pass it on to the next generation.” It’s the ultimate message, one that applies far beyond Bhutan’s next generation and the Buddhist kingdom’s borders.

How do you start your day? 
Coffee, WhatsApp, emails, a bit of breathing and the gym, in that order. 

What book have you recently read that impacted you? 
It’s always good to read books written by friends. Keith Ferrazzi, who wrote Never Eat Alone, has written Never Lead Alone, about leadership. He calls it teamship, not leadership. Another friend, Tom Hudson, wrote Exponential Emirates, about the growth of the UAE through various interviews he’s done. I’m reading both at the moment. 

Name a leader you admire and why
It has to be my king because he obsesses about the welfare and well-being of the Bhutanese people—and not just of the people now but [also] future generations. And because he has the courage to go on very difficult journeys; in particular, the Gelephu Mindfulness City. That’s not an easy journey, and he has the courage to really go all in, and he’s doing it for our people, for our future and, indeed, for the world.

Can you share a pivotal moment that shaped your path?
When I lost the first elections [during Bhutan’s inaugural parliamentary elections in 2008]. We got thrashed [securing only two of the 47 seats in the National Assembly]. And it was so difficult to find meaning in what I was doing as a member of the opposition, because we were a tiny, tiny opposition against a huge government at that time. Somebody I admire told me: ‘Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.’

What gives you hope?
We are much, much more similar than we are different, and that realisation gives me a lot of hope for the future of humankind.

NOW READ

Kishore Mahbubani wants you to know he didn't come from privilege

Modern slavery still exists—but activist Matthew S Friedman is fighting to end it

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa on the US election, the decline of democracy and how we must all hold the line