Founding Chairman of GCC Dr. Yousef M Alhorr during the virtual signing ceremony with Secretary of Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Royal Government of Bhutan Karma Tshering.
Doha, Qatar: The Global Carbon Council (GCC), an independent, internationally recognized carbon standard in the Global South, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhutan’s Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), the country’s designated national authority for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement signed by Dr. Yousef M Alhorr, Founding Chairman of GCC and Karma Tshering, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan.
The MoU aims to strengthen Bhutan’s institutional and technical readiness for participation in international carbon markets, with a focus on capacity development, carbon market governance, methodologies, project development, registration and issuance processes, and digital registry infrastructure.
The partnership comes as Bhutan continues to strengthen its national carbon market architecture and readiness to participate in cooperative approaches under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Bhutan has adopted Carbon Market Rules, launched a National Carbon Registry, established the Bhutan Climate Fund, developed its Carbon Market Framework 2025, and entered into an Article 6.2 implementation agreement with Singapore.
Bhutan’s latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) also reaffirms its long-standing commitment to remain carbon neutral. This ambition is supported by the country’s significant forest cover and its continued efforts to align economic development with environmental conservation and climate resilience.
By bringing together DECC’s national mandate and GCC’s experience in carbon crediting standards, methodologies, project assessment, and market infrastructure, the partnership seeks to translate Bhutan’s climate ambition into credible and scalable carbon market action.
“Bhutan has demonstrated exceptional environmental leadership through its enduring commitment to net zero. This collaboration will support the country in translating that ambition into credible and scalable carbon market action. By combining strong national ownership with high-integrity standards, methodologies, and interoperable infrastructure, we aim to help mobilize climate finance while safeguarding environmental integrity and sustainable development,” said Dr. Yousef M Alhorr, Founding Chairman of the Global Carbon Council.
Under the MoU, GCC will conduct capacity-building workshops and training on GCC standards, rules and requirements, the project development cycle, registration and issuance processes, registry infrastructure, and methodology development.
“This collaboration represents an important step in strengthening Bhutan’s institutional and technical readiness for international carbon markets. Through capacity development, knowledge exchange, and access to credible standards and infrastructure, we aim to ensure that Bhutan’s participation in carbon markets supports national priorities, maintains environmental integrity, and contributes to sustainable development,” said Karma Tshering, Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan.
The partnership also builds on earlier engagement between GCC and Bhutan on Article 6 readiness and carbon market implementation. Through continued technical cooperation, the two organizations aim to strengthen the systems needed to attract high-integrity climate finance, support credible mitigation activities, and contribute to Bhutan’s climate and sustainable development objectives.
The parties will develop program-specific work plans defining their respective activities and responsibilities under the MoU. Through this framework, GCC and DECC seek to establish a strong foundation for transparent, inclusive, and internationally aligned carbon market action in Bhutan.
