SARPF Dialogue in Thimphu calls on the Forum to explore pathways for regional mechanisms to address climate change and energy transition

THIMPHU, BHUTAN, 7 September 2026: The two-day South Asian Parliamentary Dialogue on Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development concluded in Thimphu yesterday, with parliamentarians from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka underlining the need for concrete institutional steps to anchor regional climate and energy cooperation, rather than further declarations of intent.

Organised by the South Asia Regional Parliamentary Forum for Climate, Energy and Environment (SARPF) and hosted by the National Assembly of Bhutan on 5–6 September at Yarkay Thimphu, the Dialogue brought together Members of Parliament, government officials and technical experts to examine South Asia’s shared climate exposure and the region’s still-unfinished record on turning cooperation agreements into working mechanisms.

Parliamentarians agreed to explore a set of measures for regional climate and energy cooperation, including:

• A South Asia Climate Cooperation Council (SACCC): potential ways towards establishing an institution to sustain political attention on climate, energy and environment and connect existing initiatives to implementation, without duplicating SAARC, BIMSTEC, BBIN or SACEP.
• A South Asian regional electricity grid: building on the complementary nature of the region’s resources – Bhutan’s more than 30,000 MW of technically feasible hydropower potential, of which barely 12 per cent is currently harnessed, Nepal’s estimated 42,000 MW of hydropower potential, and India’s over 253,000 MW of installed renewable capacity.
• A regional disaster-preparedness and data-sharing mechanism: covering shared early-warning systems, glacial-lake and flood monitoring across the Himalayan basins, and exchange of climate-risk data across borders.

In the wake of the recent glacial-related disaster in Nepal, the Dialogue highlighted that shared ecosystems and shared climate risks call for a more collective regional approach to monitoring and early warning. Parliamentarians and experts noted that countries sharing vulnerable ecosystems need to work together so that when a disaster strikes one country, others are able to respond in time. Prof. Mukul Sharma and Dr Sumedha Basu, Co-Directors, SARPF, and Dr Samantha Stratton-Short, Chief Climate Officer, UNOPS, who presented the South Asia Energy Transition Status Report 2026 to the Dialogue, underscored the need for stronger cross-border early-warning arrangements and greater exchange of climate-risk data to address such shared vulnerabilities.

Parliamentarians present called upon SARPF to further collate and work towards a possible blueprint for the SACCC, along with the other regional mechanisms and measures discussed, and to take these forward through engagement at the country, regional and multilateral levels, including with SAARC, BIMSTEC, BBIN, SACEP and multilateral partners such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

High-level participation

The Dialogue was addressed by:

• H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bhutan, who addressed the SARPF dialogue in a courtesy call and reaffirmed Bhutan’s commitment to regional climate and energy cooperation;
• H.E. Lyonpo Sonam Tashi, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, who was Chief Guest at the inaugural session;
• Hon. Younten Phuntsho, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, who delivered the keynote address on the second day;
• Hon. Sangay Khandu, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan, who was Guest of Honour at the inaugural session and called for South Asian Parliaments to strengthen their collective voice on climate finance, renewable energy, water security, disaster preparedness, biodiversity conservation and resilient infrastructure; and
• Hon. Birendra Chimoria, Chairperson of the Natural Resource and Environment Committee, National Council of Bhutan, who addressed the closing plenary as Chief Guest.

Hon. Kinzang Wangchuk, Member of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, National Assembly of Bhutan, delivered the concluding remarks on the first day. Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, Chairperson, SARPF, and Member of the Lok Sabha, India, and Prof. Mukul Sharma and Dr Sumedha Basu, Co-Directors, SARPF, presided over the two days, alongside MPs from participating countries, and technical experts from UNOPS, the International Solar Alliance and the Asian Development Bank.

About SARPF

The South Asia Regional Parliamentary Forum for Climate, Energy and Environment (SARPF) is a non-partisan platform of parliamentarians and legislators from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, established to promote regional parliamentary cooperation and policy dialogue on climate, energy and the environment.