Author(s): Rasik Rahman KK

Abstract: Bhutan's ascent as a moral leader in climate diplomacy complicates prevailing orthodoxies in international relations, particularly those concerning the strategic constraints faced by small states. Drawing upon a cosmology informed by Mahayana Buddhism, anchored in an environmentally prescient constitution, and governed through the paradigm of Gross National Happiness (GNH), Bhutan operationalizes an integrated model of environmental governance that exceeds symbolic engagement. This article delineates the historical, doctrinal, legal, and geopolitical foundations of Bhutan’s green diplomacy, arguing that its principled posture constitutes a replicable and normatively resonant form of statecraft in an era defined by ecological precarity.

Keywords: Bhutan, Climate Diplomacy, Gross National Happiness, Environmental Governance, Small States

Article Info: Received: 16 May 2025; Received in revised form: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 15 Jun 2025; Available online: 19 Jun 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.103.89