BHUTAN: National Strategy and Action Plan for Low Carbon Development, 2012

Meta Data
Draft: 
No
Revision of previous policy?: 
No
Effective Start Year: 
2012
Scope: 
National
Document Type: 
Plan/Strategy, Other
Economic Sector: 
Energy, Power, Transport, Multi-Sector
Energy Types: 
Power, Renewable, Hydropower
Issued by: 
National Environment Commission
Source: 
Ea Energy Analyses (Final report)
File: 
National Strategy and Action Plan for Low Carbon Development, 2012
Overall Summary: 
The task of the long-term national strategy for low carbon development is to strike the difficult balance of economic growth and sufficient energy at reasonable cost while preserving the local environment and contributing to climate protection. More specifically the strategy shall enable Bhutan to fulfil the commitment to remain carbon neutral. In addition, the strategy will align with the Green Economy theme in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20) taking place in June 2012. The concept of Green Economy focuses on the intersection between environment and economy. The selected intervention areas included in the low carbon strategy and action plan are as follows: Energy intensive industries’ non-energy related emissions ; Crop production; Livestock raising; Municipal solid waste; Road transport; Residential sector; Data improvement ; Sequestration capacity; Carbon footprint.
Access
Clean cooking solutions: 
Subsequent term (3-5 years): Enforce minimum energy efficiency standards on electric appliances and cooking stoves. Information campaign to sensitise the population and businesses to energy efficient purchase and use.
Efficiency
EE priorities: 
[...]limit future need for energy; and facilitate energy efficient choices within the tertiary and residential sector.
EE standards for appliances: 
Subsequent term (3-5 years): Enforce minimum energy efficiency standards on electric appliances and cooking stoves.[...]
EE building standards: 
Immediate term (1-2 years): Intervention in particular in the building sector is urgent in order to use the window of opportunity that the building boom provides. [...]
EE public awareness/promotional programmes: 
Subsequent term (3-5 years): [...]Information campaign to sensitise the population and businesses to energy efficient purchase and use.
Renewable Energy
RE priorities: 
Promote fuel shift from fossil fuels to hydro-power based electricity and other renewable energy sources; [...].
Environment
Pollution control action plans: 
Complete the already planned and partially initiated National Forest Inventory to enable the assessment of current and future sequestration capacity and measures to realise this. Establish monitoring system and organisation.
Decarbonization strategy: 
The major mitigation option relating to use of fossil fuels is a requirement for new industries to apply the best available technology with respect to fuel type and energy efficiency.--. A wide portfolio of interventions is required in order to steer development in a sustainable direction: Minimum efficiency standards on imported vehicles, regular vehicle inspection, taxation on purchase of vehicles and fuel consistent with sustainability strategies, facilities for charging of electric vehicles, intelligent transport logistics, parking restrictions, safe and easy opportunities for walking and bicycling, and well-functioning, convenient and comfortable public transport. ---Promote fuel shift from fossil fuels to hydro-power based electricity and other renewable energy sources; limit future need for energy; and facilitate energy efficient choices within the tertiary and residential sector. ---Short term: Further investigations on how international standards can be applied to Bhutan to reduce emissions and increase sustainability benefits.---Complete the already planned and partially initiated National Forest Inventory to enable the assessment of current and future sequestration capacity and measures to realise this. Establish monitoring system and organisation.---Devise mapping system and conduct pilot test of carbon footprint data system.
Carbon markets: 
Long term: Combine licensing with obligations that limit carbon emissions and increases benefits (energy efficiency standard, data for carbon footprint, energy management, employment of local work force, training, etc.).
Technology
Clean energy technology priorities: 
The major mitigation option relating to use of fossil fuels is a requirement for new industries to apply the best available technology with respect to fuel type and energy efficiency.
Clean energy technology deployment: 
testing of solar hot water heating and solar space heating technologies in order to adapt these to the Bhutanese needs and prepare local production, installation and maintenance capacity of these technologies.
R&D energy efficiency: 
testing of solar hot water heating and solar space heating technologies in order to adapt these to the Bhutanese needs and prepare local production, installation and maintenance capacity of these technologies.