Phnom Penh, 16 September 2015 - The Ministry of Environment organized a consultation meeting on Cambodia’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (Cambodia’s INDC) attended by approximately 120 representatives from line ministries/agencies, development partners and key stakeholders at Himawari hotel, presided over by H.E. Say Samal, the Minister of Environment. The Cambodia’s INDC is one of the main documents presenting Cambodia’s contribution to the globe’s Call for Climate Action to be submitted to UNFCCC-Secretariat, a head of COP 21 in Paris of France in coming December 2015.
Delivering the opening remark, H.E. Say Samal, the Minister of Environment, mentioned the country’s contribution that “As a low emitter and highly vulnerable country to the negative effects of climate change, our contribution is necessarily aligned with our development priorities. The INDC therefore includes both adaptation and mitigation components based on our national circumstances, and in line with UNFCCC decisions 1/CP.19 and 1/CP.20”.
“This isanother major step of the royal government, showing commitments with the international community to tackle climate change towards achieving a new climate agreement in 2015”, added by His Excellency Minister.
Through the various consultations, Cambodia’s INDC consists of 5 sections as follow:
- Section 1: The national context, where we present our national circumstances as they relate to the INDC;
- Section 2: Adaptation, in which we illustrate our vulnerability to climate change and the prioritized adaptation actions;
- Section 3: Mitigation, where we present our intended contribution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with explanations to ensure clarity and comparability, and illustration of fairness and ambition;
- Section 4: Planning and implementation processes, with indications of the institutions, policies, strategies, and plans that will support the implementation of the INDC in Cambodia;
- Section 5: Means of implementation, with information on the support needed for the implementation of the INDC.
Cambodia has been preparing INDC coordinating by Department of Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment under the collaborative support of the British Embassy in Cambodia and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The preparation of this report will be completed and submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat by October 2015 in prior to Conference of Parties 21 to be hosted in coming December in Paris.
For more information, kindly contact H.E. Sao Sopheap, Chief of the Minister’s Cabinet and spoke person through 012 971 222 or saosopheap@yahoo.com.
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Notes to Editors:
1) What is United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Chang (UNFCCC)?
The Convention was adopted on 9 May 1992 in New York and signed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro by more than 150 countries and the European Community. Its ultimate objective is the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. It contains commitments for all Parties. The Convention entered in force in March 1994. In 1997, the UNFCCC adopted the Kyoto Protocol. Cambodia signed the UNFCCC on 13 December 1995, just two years after the establishment of the Ministry of Environment
2) What isCambodia’s Intended Nationally Determine Contribution (Cambodia’s INDC)?
Under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), all countries across the globe made a commitment to develop a new international climate agreement by the conclusion of the Paris Climate Summit in December 2015.During previous climate negotiations, countries agreed to outline their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions under a global agreement, with the so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). These global contributions bring together bottom-up approaches, where countries put forward their positions based on national circumstances, with a top-down system aimed at reducing the average global temperature to 2oC.
Cambodia recognises the need for all countries to limit their greenhouse gas emissions, in order to achieve the UNFCCC’s objective. To successfully contribute to this global goal, we are extremely pleased to present our Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), ahead of COP 21 in Paris.
