Developed countries should pledge more to tackle climate change, says PM
Prime Minister Hun Sen at the “Climate Vulnerable Forum” via Video Conference on Wednesday. KT/Khem Sovannra
Prime Minister Hun Sen has called for developed countries to increase funding to address climate change.
“I believe that we have to expand the financial resources, especially climate-change financing for adaptations pledged by developed countries,” he said.
Mr Hun Sen’s remarks came at the Climate Change Vulnerable Forum Leaders’ event on Wednesday via video conference on the margin of the 75th session of UN General Assembly.
He also called for developed countries to transfer technologies to developing counties to effectively respond to climate change, which include mechanisms to manage and promote private investment in research on renewable energy, energy efficiency, forest conservation and adaption technology infrastructure.
“Cambodia is highly committed, with political will, to contributing towards global efforts in addressing climate change according to key principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, especially the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capacities,” Mr Hun Sen said.
He said similar to COVID-19, climate change is another worrying problem that would render severe and unpredictable consequences on societies, economies, and security in the region and the world.
Mr Hun Sen added that in recent years there have been a series of disasters worldwide which have become more severe and intense than we have ever experienced before.
“In this context, although we need to shift policy and resource priorities to combat COVID-19, we should all work hard to prioritise and ensure continuity of the implementation of climate change mitigation measures, which is a core agenda for our sustainable socio-economic development,” he said. “Cambodia is a small county with limited resources, but we have strived to fulfill our obligations as stated in the 21st annual meeting of parties for the UN Framework on Climate Change; that is we have taken climate change mitigation as an important component of the national development policies.”
Mr Hun Sen said legal, institutional, and technical frameworks for the programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) in the Kingdom is on track and is expected to be fully completed by the end of the year.
The Kingdom has been actively involved in global climate change response efforts by updating the Nationally Determined Contributions Update (NDC Update), which will be submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat at the end of the year, he said.
“Although Cambodia has a comparatively low greenhouse gas emissions, we would like to demonstrate our commitment to combat climate change according to our capacity and available resources,” Mr Hun Sen said.
He called for all countries to finalise and submit their Nationally Determined Contributions reports so as to ambitiously address the issues surrounding climate change.
Environment and Society Lover Association director Chum Huot told Khmer Times yesterday that climate change is the result of the government not having enough measures in place to prevent illegal logging and provide a good atmosphere for environment protection as well. It is also caused by hydropower dam construction along the Mekong River.
“The government should take the strictest and the most effective measures to prevent climate change. Large hydropower dams along the Mekong River and coal power plants should not be established,” he said.
“The government should increase people’s understanding to be aware that climate change really affects society, the environment, and their livelihood,” Huot added.
Cambodia is highly vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures are expected to reduce productivity in agriculture, fisheries and forests and to reduce labour productivity across most sectors, a report by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Environment said last year.
Credited: Khmer Times
