Bhutan’s successful climate action and Vietnam’s new AI law

Despite the rest of the world still attempting to reach climate commitments set in previous years, Bhutan, a small country in the Himalayas, is ahead of the curve. Due to rigorous dedication to its own constitution and the well-being of its citizens, Bhutan has managed to become the first country in the world that is carbon negative. With its founding laws emphasising that 60 % of the country’s land must be preserved for forestry, it has created the ideal circumstances for maintaining low CO₂ levels. 

In addition, its national philosophy, Gross National Happiness (GNH), views environmental sustainability and economic development as complementary goals, rather than competing priorities. By expanding its definition of progress to include what is elsewhere seen as a limitation, Bhutan has shown that a more inclusive approach can achieve greater success.

Vietnam’s new AI law

As the first country in Southeast Asia, Vietnam adopted a comprehensive AI law in March. The legislation aims to establish a regulatory framework that provides for extensive state oversight while simultaneously promoting innovation. At the core of the law is a risk-based approach that classifies AI systems into low-, medium-, and high-risk categories, with stricter requirements applying to high-risk applications.

Another key principle is the emphasis on human oversight, requiring humans to retain responsibility for important decisions. In addition, the law mandates clear labelling of AI-generated content and explicitly prohibits harmful applications such as deepfakes and illegal content, as well as threats to national security. At the same time, critics have previously warned that wide-ranging provisions of this kind could also be used to curtail political freedom of expression.

We regularly update you on more positive developments in our Good News section.

The D+C editorial team
euz.editor@dandc.eu