Only Carbon Negative Country In The World
Carbon Dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas emission produced by humans, thus contributing most dramatically to worldwide climate change. Most countries produce far more carbon dioxide than they are able to absorb, unfortunately contributing to the amount of unwanted carbon that makes its way into the atmosphere.
Bhutan, however, is an anomaly. Thanks to Bhutan’s massive tree cover, 72% of the country is still forested; the country has become a carbon sink. Being a carbon sink means that Bhutan absorbs over 6 million tons of carbon annually while only producing 1.5 million tons.
For a country that has already gained the world’s respect and attention, Bhutan has a big reputation to uphold, and even bigger plans to do so.
By 2030 Bhutan plans to reach zero net greenhouse gas admission and to produce zero waste. This means putting a comprehensive plan of action into place such as increasing its share on renewable energy sources such as wind, biogas, and solar.
The government has also started providing rural farmers with free electricity in order to lessen their dependence on wood stoves for cooking. Trees hold special value in Buddhism, the nation’s dominant religion. Last June, a team of 100 volunteers set a world record for planting 49,672 trees in just one hour. And earlier this month, to celebrate the birth of the first child of King Khesar and Queen Jetsun, all 82,000 households in Bhutan planted a tree, while volunteers planted another 26,000 in various districts around the country, for a total of 108,000 trees.