Climate Governance in a Small Landlocked State: Bhutan’s Domestic Action and Global Climate Engagement

The risks associated with climate change are disproportionately high to the small states due to elevated vulnerability and limited adaptive capacity. The current literature has mainly focused on small island developing countries, leaving the relatively unexplored small land-locked countries in the climate governance literature. This study uses a qualitative case-study approach and thematic analysis of national climate plans and policy documents and international agreements to study Bhutan as an example of climate governance, and examines how its national climate policies are aligned with international climate processes. The article will assess the policies of Bhutan in conserving forests, renewable energy, climate change and sustainable development under the Gross National Happiness plan. It has been found that the strong credibility of the domestic environment in Bhutan gives it the normative and moral power in the international climate governance despite its minor material power. This article can be added to the discussion of climate governance by predetermining the role of land-locked developing countries in influencing the global climate action. Keywords: Climate governance, Bhutan, small states, land-locked state, sustainability, climate policy.