Scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the National Development for Sustainable Development (NCSD), disseminated a special report on the temperature rise of 1.5 °C to provide a key guidance for government officials, experts, analysts for climate change strategic planning and policy development in Cambodia.

Her Excellency Mom Thany, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Environment, underlined that “A vigorous international cooperation will strengthen our ability to produce scientific evidence on the effects of climate change. As a decision-maker we need this evidence to make the right choice, she added. She further mentioned that we need numerous types of scientists who can predict the effects of climate change in Cambodia; we need those who can create flood, droughts and heat waves models in the context of climate change, we also need engineers and technicians who can propose solutions to these new challenges. We would like see our people in this epoch embrace science as a key factor towards development by 2050.

The Special Report confirmed that through the work of the IPCC team, an increase in additional temperature of 0,5 Celsius in the globe could bring serious consequences. Therefore, we need to limit the increase in temperatures 1.5 °C. To Limit warming to 1.5°C would require changes on an unprecedented scale such as deep emissions cuts in all sectors; a range of technologies (e.g. renewables); behavioural changes and increased investment in low carbon options.

The outreach activity and dissemination of IPCC finding lasted from 27 to 28 May 2019 in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, under presidency of Her Excellency Mom Thany, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Environment with participation from Laos and relevant governmental ministries/agencies, civil societies, academia, youth and national/international press.