Solar panels installed at Takeo province. Heng Chivoan
Cambodia uses renewable energy for about 40 per cent of the country's total energy needs, including hydropower, solar energy and biomass. The Cambodian government plans to push for more renewable energy use to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
On September 15 at the opening of the 40th ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting, Related Meetings and ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2022, Prime Minister Hun Sen, as chair of ASEAN, made mention of global energy issues and the energy situation in Cambodia.
He emphasised in his speech that Cambodia has persevered in its mission to incorporate renewable energy into the mix of its energy sources. In 2021, about 40 per cent of the country's total energy was supplied by renewables.
“The way forward will be to continue to focus on the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy to the fullest of Cambodia’s potential along with the reduction of the development of energy sources that are fossil fuels, such as coal and oil,” he said.
Renewable energy refers to any energy that comes from renewable sources, such as sunlight, wind, sea tides or waves, geothermal or biomass energy. These sources are generally clean or non-polluting and do not emit carbon like the fossil fuel sources that are causing global warming.
Hun Sen made mention of rising global energy demands, saying that the instability of oil prices in international markets has been causing high inflation while monetary policies from the central banks in many countries had tightened pressures on global economic growth.
With the climate change crisis and its related natural disasters plaguing economies, value chains and global productivity, he emphasised that ASEAN and the world need to focus attention on the energy transition.
He added that to realise this objective, Cambodia has been cooperating with development partners to study and develop Cambodia’s Power Development Master Plan until 2040, the National Policy on Energy Efficiency, the Roadmap for Clean Energy Transition towards Carbon Neutrality and the Rooftop Solar Energy Development Policy in Cambodia.
Back in February 2022, the government laid out a long-term strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN) which is expected to be achieved by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
