Green and Low Carbon Transition in Cambodia
Chhoeun Raksmey, Director at Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MISTI), discusses Cambodia’s green transition and the role of clean energy, technology transfer, and international cooperation in sustainable development.
Before getting into the green transition itself, I would like to begin by looking at what “green” actually means, because it has many dimensions. Green development can mean green buildings, green energy, green finance, and green efficiency. But it goes beyond protecting the environment, adapting to environmental change, or simply achieving greater efficiency. What matters more is how we can use green technologies to make our manufacturing factories more productive.
In my work with Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI), I have been involved in a number of technology transfer projects. This experience has shown me that technology transfer is fundamental to the development of green industries. It is also an area in which Cambodia and China have worked very closely together. Our cooperation has already produced many tangible results, particularly in green energy. We have made a strong push to develop hydropower, including green hydropower projects in Upper Tatay and Pursat Province. In parallel, Cambodia has put in place legislation supporting green development and is continuing to advance technology transfer with China. Green legislation needs to translate into industrial practice. That means improving the materials used in conventional production, getting more output from every unit of energy, expanding cleaner production, and making energy efficiency a central part of industrial development.
Environmental protection matters to all of us. At the heart of green development is a simple shared aspiration for a better and healthier environment for all. Achieving that vision requires greater attention to both energy conservation and energy efficiency. In particular, we need to make green energy more efficient and affordable, generating greater value from energy use. This, in turn, will make our industries more competitive. Cambodia has long encouraged proven solutions and successful practices to be adopted on a wider scale. At the same time, we are actively looking for new partners and seeking to build stronger industrial clusters. The green transition, however, is not something that any single actor can accomplish alone. Policy must help create the conditions for cluster-based development. Special economic zones and industrial parks can play an important role in this process by enabling industries to pursue green upgrading at scale.
Let me now turn to the Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology, commonly known as the TEST methodology. TEST is designed as a holistic approach. We cannot take one part in isolation and expect the whole system to work. Cleaner production means making better use of both resources and energy, improving energy efficiency, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The benefits of green development are already highly visible across many Chinese cities. Tree-lined roads and expanding urban green spaces are increasingly part of everyday life. New energy vehicles are steadily replacing conventional fuel-powered vehicles, while cleaner mobility solutions are broadening the application of green energy.
Greater use of green energy is not only about using energy more efficiently. It is also about improving people’s well-being. A green and healthy environment benefits everyone. For people who spend long hours in front of computers, access to greenery can help relieve fatigue, provide a welcome sense of relief, and support physical and mental well-being.
In the end, sustainable development depends on a healthy and green environment. Energy infrastructure, water protection, resource management, and climate action are not separate issues. They are closely connected and must be addressed together.
Embracing green development therefore requires creating more green spaces, improving resource recovery and recycling, and advancing greener production across the board.
MISTI has worked closely with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for many years. The central purpose of our cooperation is to raise public awareness of clean energy and cleaner production, and to help industries move towards environmentally friendly development. To support this objective, we have developed green industry programs and a Green Industry Award, encouraging companies to strengthen climate action and climate resilience. These initiatives are designed to promote more efficient use of resources, wider adoption of cleaner production, stronger environmental governance, and more sustainable patterns of development. They also encourage businesses to take greater social responsibility. Together, these priorities define the core of our cooperation with UNIDO.
Looking at Cambodia’s national agenda, our policy framework is becoming increasingly comprehensive, supported by many long-term plans. We have set a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. We view the transition to carbon neutrality as both a climate imperative and an economic opportunity, one that can nurture green industries, create employment, lower production costs, and deliver sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Today, a number of Chinese investors are developing electric vehicle manufacturing factories in Cambodia, while Cambodian companies are expanding their presence in the green energy sector. Together, these efforts are contributing to better livelihoods and stronger economic growth.
Cambodia has introduced its National Energy Efficiency Policy 2022-2030 with a clear objective of reducing energy consumption nationwide and helping key sectors use energy more efficiently. Building energy efficiency is a particular priority. Many of you may already experience the benefits of modern facilities when staying at a hotel. The comfort provided by advanced amenities is supported in part by increasingly sophisticated building energy management technologies. These systems allow operators to monitor and manage electricity consumption and energy use intensity per square meter more precisely. In 2019, buildings accounted for approximately 43% of Cambodia’s total energy consumption. Looking ahead to 2030, the Royal Government of Cambodia aims to reduce energy consumption by 34% in the residential sector and 25% in commercial buildings.
Cambodia is advancing green transformation at both the urban and industrial levels. This includes developing greener cities, strengthening industrial infrastructure, implementing industrial development plans, expanding urban green space, and promoting green equipment and cleaner production. In doing so, we hope to cut pollution and emissions while getting greater economic value from the energy we use. We are also paying close attention to the sustainable management of land and natural resources, including better forest conservation and stronger ecological protection in protected areas.
Cambodia’s green and low-carbon transition is therefore both an opportunity and a challenge.
The greatest immediate challenge comes from rapid urbanization. Major construction activities in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other cities are driving up energy demand, while industrial expansion is placing additional pressure. Yet this transition also comes at a time of technological progress. New technologies give us the opportunity to adopt greener solutions and scale up cleaner production.
Looking to the future, Cambodia’s green journey will be one we take together. Government agencies, partners, and research institutions all have a role to play, and young researchers and scholars can make a valuable contribution by advancing green awareness and developing and promoting energy-efficient solutions. As artificial intelligence continues to advance rapidly, community engagement and shared action remain indispensable.
Green and low-carbon development is not the task of one institution or one sector. It requires the participation and commitment of society as a whole. After all, the ultimate purpose of green development is to create a better life and greater well-being for everyone.
(If you have specific expertise, or would like to share your thoughts, please send us your writings at CAobservation@outlook.com)
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