Prime Minister Hun Sen makes the remark in a pre-recorded video that was broadcasted at the Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum 2021 on September 3, the first of the two-day event, held both virtually and in-person under the theme “Energy, Climate and Environment”. SPM
Cambodia is fully committed to including energy, climate and the environment as priority items on its long-term political agenda, as part of “a pillar of common [global] issues with differing approaches and individual responsibilities”, according to Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The government is also mulling developing a carbon emission trading market implementation plan, after many years of participation in the voluntary carbon market, he said.
The prime minister made the remarks in a pre-recorded video that was broadcasted at the Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum 2021 on September 3, the first of the two-day event, held both virtually and in-person under the theme “Energy, Climate and Environment”.
The forum was attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and leaders of many other countries.
Cambodia regards carbon credits as a sustainable source of financing for greenhouse gas reduction projects, he said, adding that the Kingdom is keen to work with any interested countries, private sector entities, or other potential partners in the field.
“In the context that the whole world is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, this forum serves as a reminder for us all not to forget the issues of energy, climate and the environment, which require attention and responsibility, through constant consideration of a common global solution,” Hun Sen said.
As the world prepares to reopen the socioeconomic space, this forum offers a “good opportunity” to push for the acceleration of low-carbon development and resolve many of the quandaries besetting these three key areas, the prime minister said.
This, he said, will make inroads to achieve the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the climate change targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
He underlined that the dilemmas associated with these three areas, particularly climate change, are predominant and heated topics that are of universal bearing on all mankind – they threaten human health, food security, ecological systems and the very socioeconomic structure, and in turn can spur natural disasters such as floods and forest fires.
These predicaments signal an urgent need for a rapid but just and equitable energy transition – curbing the production and consumption of sources that have high carbon emissions in favour of cleaner and more resource-efficient renewable alternatives, he said.
Despite its less-developed country label, the Kingdom is committed to cutting carbon emissions in the forestry, energy, industrial, agricultural and waste management sectors by 64.6 million tonnes by 2030, he said.
According to the prime minister, Cambodia is drawing up a long-term strategy – due to be completed later this year – that pivots heavily towards carbon independence.
He called for dialogue and international cooperation between all stakeholders to build a common, sustainable green future that “leaves no one behind”.
He urged political commitment from all countries – according to their development status – to push for green growth, carbon emissions reduction, and ensuring that all people have access to sustainable energy at reasonable prices which have low carbon emissions.
“I’m calling for mutual assistance, based on the spirit of solidarity, especially in technology and financial transfer to countries with fewer resources,” Hun Sen said.
From 2016 to June this year, Cambodia has earned about $11.6 million from the sale of carbon credits to major foreign companies such as Disney, Kering, Intuit, Shell and Gucci, according to Ministry of Environment secretary of state Neth Pheaktra.
He said the Kingdom was also studying and carrying out a carbon credit project in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary in Stung Treng province with Japanese company Mitsui.
Speaking via video link at the First Asia CCUS Network Forum on carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology on June 22, Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem underlined the importance of carbon reduction, as a part of a building a sustainable road to combating climate change.
“Cambodia perceives that our energy sources will continue to depend on fossil fuels in the future, so there is an urgent need to ensure that fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – are used in a cleaner way, by implementing technology that captures, uses and stores an affordable carbon dioxide supply.
“In my view, as long as we continue to employ fossil fuels, using them through clean technologies – such as clean-coal and CCUS – will become a necessity to combat climate change on a large-scale,” he said.
