Oxfam and local think tanks convened a two-day event, “The Waste Summit Cambodia X Cambodia Inclusive and Responsible Business (IRB) Forum 2025”, last week, in a joint effort to guide Cambodia towards a future that is both economically robust and environmentally sound.
The goal was to push for transition towards inclusive, circular and sustainable growth. The summit was hosted by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Cambodia, Oxfam in Cambodia and the Sustainable Business Alliance (SBA) to connect the national IRB movement with Cambodia’s leading environmental initiative, Waste Summit Cambodia.
The core objective was to explore how businesses can actively contribute to poverty reduction, bolster community resilience and address the pressing issue of waste through the adoption of IRB models, according to a joint press release.
The first day of the summit, held on October 24, focused on “Empowering Enterprises Through Inclusive and Responsible Business”. The session drew approximately 150 participants, including government officials, representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), development partners and academics.
They engaged in insightful discussions on sustainable supply chains, gender equality, social protection and innovative circular business models.
“An economy that leaves people behind is not a strong economy; it is a brittle one. For Cambodia, Inclusive Responsible Business is not a luxury or a charity, it is the only viable blueprint for resilient and shared national success,” said Ciny Tung, secretary of state at the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, as he addressed the forum.
Oskar Haq, Inclusive Green Economy Program manager at Oxfam in Cambodia, noted that Cambodia’s path to sustainability requires multiple pillars, including public policy, aid, blended finance and the critical involvement of the private sector. He said the private sector plays a significant role in alleviating poverty and injustice.
On its second day, the focus shifted to the public with the “Innovative Waste Economies” theme of the Waste Summit Cambodia 2025. With a turnout of over 400 attendees and more than 50 exhibitors, the summit showcased practical and innovative solutions that reframe waste from a challenge into a valuable economic opportunity.
Daniela Braun, country director of KAS Cambodia described the summit as a place where ideas meet action.
“By combining the energy of innovators, policymakers and responsible businesses, we turn waste into opportunity, challenges into collaboration and sustainability into a shared mission for Cambodia’s future. No single actor can tackle these issues alone – only through partnership can we achieve lasting change,” she said.
A unique networking event “The Flavors of Sustainability: Tourism Movements” was also staged, to celebrate local produce and the richness of sustainable Cambodian flavours.
KAS and Oxfam have reiterated their commitment to strengthening the SBA as an open platform for continued collaboration between SMEs, policymakers and development partners.
They encouraged more enterprises and ecosystem actors to join this collaborative effort to co-develop initiatives, share knowledge and drive the systemic change necessary for a sustainable Cambodian future.
