Cambodia has pledged to join global efforts in managing the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), aligning with the Montreal Protocol’s objectives and the government’s Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I.
The commitment was reiterated by Pak Sokharavuth, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Environment, at a five-day conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from October 23-27.
During the meeting, he emphasised the country’s dedication to the international treaty’s goals, particularly the Kigali Amendment, aimed at controlling and reducing HFC usage. He underscored the country’s role in implementing the protocol in harmony with its strategic environmental policies.
Sokharavuth also engaged with representatives of key development partners such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance (CCCA) and officials from the Multilateral Fund Secretariat (MLF), according to the ministry. He shared the country’s experiences in implementing its National Cooling Plan at two side events.
Cambodia has been elected to the Joint Executive Committee alongside China and India, tasked with co-organising the 93rd to 95th Executive Committee meetings in Montreal, Canada, throughout 2023 and 2024, as per the ministry.
Environment minister Eang Sophalleth highlighted the Kingdom’s proactive role in phasing out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by 2010 and its ongoing efforts to manage HFCs in line with the protocol, in a September 16 message marking World Ozone Day.
He noted the recent approval of the Environmental and Natural Resources Code and the preparation of a management plan for HFCs, pursuant to the Kigali Amendment, which Cambodia ratified on April 8, 2021.
The implementation of these measures is part of a broader aim to reduce global warming by 0.5°C by the century’s end, according to the ministry.
