Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth and his Japanese counterpart Ishihara Hirotaka have inked a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on environmental issues. The agreement was signed at the office of Minister of Environment of Japan on February 16.
The MoC focuses on four strategic pillars. The first is Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: Cambodia aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2035, focusing on the energy, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management sectors. The second is Circular Economy: Priority is given to plastic waste management and resource efficiency to promote a “clean, green and sustainable” future.
The third is Pollution Prevention: Cambodia intends to modernise monitoring systems for air, land and water quality to better safeguard public health. Finally, Biodiversity Conservation: Recognising natural ecosystems as natural infrastructure, their protection and restoration are essential to achieving the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
The signing took place while Sophalleth visited Tokyo, Japan, where he led a Ministry of Environment delegation to several related meetings. The delegation departed Cambodia on the evening of Sunday, February 15.
Earlier on February 16, a ministry delegation signed an MoC with the Japan Federation of Shiho-Shoshi Lawyers’ Associations on environmental protection cooperation, aiming at strengthening environmental law enforcement and governance.
The Cambodian delegation was led by Sophalleth, while the Japanese side was led by federation president Ozawa Yoshinori.
Sophalleth explained that the agreement seeks to achieve three main objectives: promote the enforcement of environmental laws; strengthen transparency in permitting and environmental governance; and build stronger institutional frameworks for natural resource management.
“When our institutions are transparent and laws support sustainable development, we will establish a foundation for long-term success,” he said.
Ozawa noted that the federation will support and further strengthen cooperation with Cambodia by contributing to environmental forecasting efforts in Cambodia.
