Bhutan is poised to lead mindfulness and sustainability through landmark innovation forum

More than 80 outstanding global thought leaders are set to transcend into Bhutan for its inaugural Innovation Forum, which explores the intersections of mindfulness, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. The forum, supported by the Department of Tourism of Bhutan (DoT Bhutan), will be held between 1 October and 3 October 2024 at the Dungkar Dzong in Paro.

DoT Bhutan is the nation's tourism board. It started in 1974 as a revenue source and is responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Bhutan. It works to share the Kingdom's remarkable places, people, and experiences with conscious travellers, guided by the principles of high-value, low-volume tourism. 

The Bhutan Innovation Forum is designed as a platform to generate ideas and chart pathways for realising this ambitious vision. Mindful innovation aligns with holistic well-being and economic progress, focusing on investments that drive sustainability.

This is part of the nation's goal to integrate green technologies and mindful innovation to build a community grounded in harmony, well-being, and happiness as it seeks to create the world's first "Mindfulness City."

Empowering communities through mindfulness and sustainability

Speakers at the forum will discuss a wide range of topics related to empowering communities through mindfulness and sustainability, such as integrating mindfulness into education and leadership, leveraging blockchain for knowledge economies, utilising AI in digital services and governance, promoting ESG investments for climate resilience, and developing carbon markets for sustainable growth.

"I'm honoured to join the inaugural Innovation Forum in Bhutan, inspired by His Majesty's vision for nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators," said Mr Evan Spiegel, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of technology company Snap Inc.

Spiegel, one of the forum's keynote speakers, expressed his excitement in discussing how mindfulness would create space for innovation and how technology can support the process.

In addition, the concept of the Mindfulness City, first introduced by Bhutan's King in December 2023, highlighted the country's role and strategic position as a global leader in sustainability.

"The Mindfulness City will be unlike any other, rooted in the principles of Gross National Happiness (GNH)," said King Jigme. "It will be a city that fosters conscious and sustainable businesses, inspired by our spiritual heritage and reflecting the unique Bhutanese identity."

He also shared that Bhutan's position as a global leader in sustainability and as the world's only carbon-negative country has allowed it to set out to offer a powerful model for sustainable development. 

Sustainability on the rise

Sustainability has grown in interest over the past few years, with many more businesses adopting sustainable practices in various industries and sectors.

For instance, as part of its ongoing efforts to attain net-zero operations, Singapore's DBS Bank announced that all its manned branches would be certified under the BCA's Green Mark Platinum by the end of the year.

In addition, Dubai's Airline Emirates has partnered with Neste, a Finnish energy and marketing company, to use sustainable airline fuel (SAF) generated from renewable waste and residue raw materials, like cooking oil and animal fat waste, for flights departing from Changi Airport.

This, in turn, has allowed the airline to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to regular jet fuel.

Building on the momentum, Bhutan aims to establish itself as a powerful model for sustainable development, a hub of mindful innovation, and a beacon for sustainable living.