What’s the recipe for cooking up outstanding policies? Policy practitioners the world over have strived to get the right people in the room and stay abreast of the latest research.
In Bhutan, an exercise to realize a healthier environment led ESCAP to learn important lessons in supporting environmental policies in other countries.
The National Environment Commission (NEC) of Bhutan requested support from ESCAP on revising the 1998 National Environment Strategy (NES) of Bhutan.
This led to the development of The Middle Path: National Environment Strategy of Bhutan 2020 (NES 2020). The strategy, that responds to Bhutan’s specific circumstances and unique vision of environment and sustainable development was launched on 4 June 2020, under the Patronage of the Queen of Bhutan. Its vision is “a healthy and sustainable environment for present and future generations in pursuit of Gross National Happiness.” It provides an overarching framework for all existing environmental policies of Bhutan, with priority areas linked directly to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.