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GBCL Payment and planting schemes to mitigate climate change
Yangel Bin Laden
A few months ago, Tshering Tashi, founder of Amulet Luxury Travel Bhutan, read an article about “Pay and Plant” The initiative of Green Bhutan Limited (GBCL) was featured in Bhutan Airlines’ in-flight magazine.
He is interested in an initiative that allows tourists to plant saplings in the country for a fee. “The article says that one mature tree can provide oxygen for four people,” Tshering Tashi said. “That means if one person plants a sapling, it can provide oxygen for three more people.”
GBCL launched the initiative last year as an innovative ecotourism project that engages tourists in tree planting to promote climate change mitigation and environmental conservation. By combining tourism with ecological responsibility, the program aims to enhance Bhutan’s reputation as a leader in sustainable development and explore private financing for reforestation initiatives.
Since the program began, more than 100 tourists have paid to plant trees.
Visitors pay a certain amount for each sapling and they receive Geographic coordinates allow online monitoring of the saplings anytime and anywhere. The planting area comes under the jurisdiction of GBCL, ensuring that the saplings are well cared for and grow into majestic trees.
Tsering Tashi said this was a great opportunity to involve tourists in more activities, such as tree planting initiatives, which would have a far-reaching impact on mitigating climate change and limiting the carbon footprint left by tourists. His first guests Participating in the Wage and Factory Program, the Schmettows Seven volunteers from Germany planted the saplings “In the future I will include this program in my guests’ itineraries,” Tshering Tashi said at the opening ceremony in Bumthang on August 7.
Father Johanne von Schmettow, a German leadership consultant, and daughter Victoria, an Australian-trained environmental scientist, both expressed gratitude and appreciation for the move.
“We are very happy to be part of the local tree planting initiative,” said Johanne Von Schmettow. “We believe that the Gross National Happiness paradigm – for people and the planet – should be integrated into every tourism project. Every tourist who visits this country should become an ambassador of this holistic, sustainable mindset.”
Tshering Tashi said his guests They were interested in this because it would clean up their carbon footprint while traveling and living in Bhutan.
“The scheme aims to offset carbon emissions, mitigate climate change and encourage people to plant trees as they have great potential to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Lenmith Lepcha, head of nursery planting and floriculture at GBCL. “While tourists leave a carbon footprint when they visit, planting even one tree can contribute in its own way to mitigating climate change.”
GBCL CEO Karma Jigme Temphel added that the initiative also aims to educate and create awareness about the lasting impact of tree planting. “The program targets not only tourists but also interested Bhutanese, with tree planting sites identified at popular tourist destinations across Bhutan.”
Paid and hand-cultivated sites are located in Thimphu, Punakha, Paro, Chukha, Bumthang and Trashigang.
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