The Campaign
A Bottle, A Mountain, A Message
Five years ago, Jamyang found a discarded plastic bottle while trekking to a Himalayan glacier. he filled it with meltwater — a simple act that became a powerful symbol of the twin crises threatening our planet: plastic pollution and the rapid melting of glaciers caused by climate change. That bottle now carries a story — not just of loss, but of hope.
The melting of Himalayan glaciers is not a distant event — it’s one of the clearest signals of the climate emergency. These glaciers are the water towers of Asia, sustaining nearly two billion people with water for drinking, farming, and energy. When they melt, ecosystems collapse, rivers dry, sea levels rise, and entire communities — from mountain villages to coastal cities — are at risk. If the Himalayas disappear, it won’t just be Bhutan, Nepal, or India that suffers. It will be a planetary crisis.
Scientists warn that in a 1.5°C world, up to 60% of Himalayan ice will vanish by 2100. At 2°C, three-quarters will be gone. These are not numbers — they are a countdown clock for our children’s future.
Bhutan’s Call to Action
This campaign calls for three urgent actions:
- Stop deforestation, protect old-growth forests and plant trees. Each tree captures carbon, cools the earth and restores biodiversity — the simplest and most effective climate solution.
- Accelerate the transition to clean, just and green energy. We cannot fight fire with more fuel; we need an energy story that uplifts communities instead of leaving them behind.
- Embed climate crisis education in schools. The leaders who will protect the planet tomorrow are in classrooms today. When we teach about climate and interconnectedness, we nurture empathy, values and responsibility — the heart of Gross National Happiness.
Bhutan is already leading by example. Our Constitution protects over sixty percent of land as forest, and today more than seventy percent of Bhutan remains green. Hydropower makes us carbon-negative, and new investments in solar and electric mobility strengthen our just transition. Environmental learning is now part of national curricula, ensuring that young Bhutanese grow as mindful guardians of the earth.
Bhutan’s story shows that protecting nature, advancing clean energy and educating with compassion are not three separate goals — they are one shared path to balance and hope.
Dear World Leaders
During one of the campaign journeys, a young girl gave Jamyang a handwritten letter. In it, she wrote about her fears for the future, but also about her dream of seeing collective global action to protect othe only home we have, planet earth. After receiving the letter, Jamyang promised her that he’d carry her words wherever he went.
Kunzang’s words serves as a constant reminder of why this work matters and what’s truly at stake: her future, the future of our children. And in her writing lies the most powerful message of all: that the next generation is ready to act, but they need us to act first.
