Bhutan

Bhutan joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in 2024, fully endorsing the Coalition’s Framework and Strategy 2030. Bhutan commits to taking meaningful action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs)—including black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Key areas of interest for Bhutan include national SLCP planning and NDC integration, agriculture, clean cooling, fossil fuels, heavy-duty diesel vehicles, household energy, waste management, implementation of the HCFC Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) and Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) bank, Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP), energy efficiency, air quality monitoring, and industrial pollution control.

Bhutan is already advancing SLCP mitigation through multiple initiatives. In waste, methane from wastewater treatment contributes over 85 % of total waste-related GHGs, and emissions are rising—Bhutan adopted its National Waste Management Strategy (including a “Zero Waste by 2030” goal) in 2019 to tackle this challenge. On HFC management, Bhutan acceded to the Kigali Amendment in September 2019 and has begun implementing an HFC licensing system and KIP projects to align with global phase-down commitments. Bhutan also maintains early-stage air quality monitoring in major towns and has begun targeting black carbon from solid-fuel household energy and industrial sources  

As a CCAC State Partner, Bhutan seeks support to integrate SLCPs into national planning processes, expand air quality monitoring systems, improve household energy efficiency, enhance waste and wastewater methane management, strengthen fossil fuel regulation, and advance industrial emission controls. Through technical assistance, capacity-building, and knowledge-sharing within the CCAC, Bhutan aims to accelerate SLCP reductions—supporting public health, climate resilience, and sustainable environmental stewardship in the Himalayan region.