The World Acknowledges The Environmental Leader

On a chilly winter morning of February 2011 in Kyoto, Japan, in a ceremony attended by around 600 dignitaries, including Their Imperial Highnesses Prince Akishino-miya and Princess Kiko-Sama, Her Royal Highness Princess Ashi Kezang Choden Wangchuck received the Kyoto Earth Hall of Fame award on behalf of His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
The award recognized the King’s outstanding contribution to global environmental protection. Speaking at the event, Her Royal Highness highlighted that “the Fourth Druk Gyalpo was among the earliest world leaders to become conscious of the mounting pressures of development on Bhutan’s bountiful, yet fragile ecosystem.” She further noted that Bhutan now boasts 72 percent forest cover, with nearly half the country designated as protected areas safeguarding some of the world’s rarest and most threatened species.
Such achievements, she said, inspired Bhutan to pledge at COP 15 that it would remain carbon neutral forever. Reading the King’s acceptance speech, she shared that His Majesty dedicated the award to “the people of Bhutan and all those who have been steadfast in their support and commitment to preserving the natural environment in Bhutan and globally.”
The Kyoto Earth Hall of Fame honors individuals and organizations for their extraordinary efforts in environmental preservation, consensus-building, and sustainable action.
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s environmental vision has earned him numerous international accolades, including the Blue Planet Prize (2022), recognized for integrating environmental conservation into the philosophy of Gross National Happiness.
A year later in 2005, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) bestowed His Majesty with ‘Champions of the Earth’, an award to the King and the people of Bhutan for enshrining environmental protection in the nation’s constitution and development policies, with more than 74 percent of Bhutan’s land under forest cover and 26 percent designated as protected areas.
In 2006, His Majesty was awarded the J. Paul Getty Conservation Leadership Award, honoring his leadership and enduring concern for environmental sustainability, with WWF noting his global influence on conservation policy.
His Majesty has also received numerous national and foreign honors, including Grand Master of the Royal Order of Bhutan in 1972; Grand Master of the Order of Great Victory of the Thunder Dragon in 1985 and; King Jigme Khesar Investiture Medal in 2008.
Among the foreign honors the Fourth Druk Gyalpo received, the most notable ones were Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan in 1987; Member of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya, Nepal in 1988, and; Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great, Kuwait in 1990.
Through decades of visionary leadership, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck has placed Bhutan at the forefront of global environmental stewardship—showing the world that development and conservation can go hand in hand.

Tashi Namgyal
From Thimphu