Bhutan continues to strengthen its climate action commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through steady progress in REDD+ implementation. As part of its readiness to access results-based payments for REDD+ activities, Bhutan has initiated the development of the Summary of Information (SoI), which demonstrates how the Cancun Safeguards are being addressed and respected in the implementation of the REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan.
To support this process, the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) conducted a five-day national capacity-building and consultation workshop from 29 April to 3 May 2026. The workshop resulted in (i) the development of an outline for the SoI with technical support from the UN-REDD through United Nations Environment Programme and UNEP-WCMC, and (ii) a three-day consultation and data-gathering exercise involving key stakeholders and Technical Working Group members from Ministry of Energy and and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Tarayana Foundation, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation and WWF-Bhutan.
The workshop brought together representatives from relevant agencies to strengthen understanding of REDD+ safeguards and initiate the drafting of the SoI. Through a participatory approach, participants contributed to developing safeguard narratives, identifying relevant policies and institutional roles, and highlighting gaps in data and existing systems.
This effort builds on Bhutan’s broader REDD+ progress, including the submission of its Technical Annex and ongoing efforts to access results-based finance from the Green Climate Fund, as well as opportunities under the ART-TREES framework. The outcomes of the workshop provide a clear pathway for finalizing the SoI and further strengthening Bhutan’s transparent and credible forest-related climate reporting. The SOI is due for submission to UNFCCC in July 2026.
