Cambodia Launches Green Finance Network to Boost Climate Investments

The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have officially kicked off their first meeting on the establishment of the Green Finance Network (GFN Cambodia). This initiative is designed as a unified, industry-driven platform to scale up green investments and accelerate the country’s transition toward low-carbon infrastructure. The inaugural meeting convened 50 high-level representatives from commercial banks, financial institutions, the German Embassy, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), and the Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition (ALCBT) Project Implementation Unit. Unlocking Private Capital for High-Impact Climate Action Established under Output 3 of the five-year ALCBT project, GFN Cambodia will address the critical funding gap for low-carbon building (LCB) projects across the kingdom. Cambodia, highly vulnerable to climate change, has set ambitious targets under its NDC 3.0 commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 55% by 2035. This milestone requires over $32 billion in green investment over the next decade. GFN Cambodia provides a structured, long-term framework to transition the financial sector from temporary workshops to continuous, actionable capacity building, pipeline development, and regional integration through the ASEAN-BUILT initiative. Mr. Dith Sochal, ABC Council Member and Chairman of the ABC’s Sustainability Committee, stated: “This platform comes at a timely moment as ABC continues to support its member banks and financial institutions in expanding their green finance portfolios. It aligns directly with the Cambodia Sustainable Finance Principles (CSFP) and the NBC’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy for the Cambodian Banking Sector.” Ms. Nathalie Andre, Country Representative of GGGI Cambodia, commented: “Public finance alone cannot deliver this transition—the financial sector has a pivotal role in mobilizing, allocating, and scaling the capital needed. This collaboration reflects a deliberate, growing partnership between GGGI and ABC to help Cambodia’s banks build institutional readiness and move from one-off workshops to an ongoing, structured platform.” Key Objectives of GFN Cambodia: Build Capacity: Equipping commercial banks and financial institutions to identify, assess, and manage green and climate-related financial risks. Pipeline Development: Converting building energy assessments into an investable pipeline of low-carbon building projects. Framework Alignment: Helping local institutions operationalize the National Bank of Cambodia’s (NBC) Sustainable Finance Taxonomy and CSFP guidelines. Regional Integration: Enhancing peer-to-peer learning and linking Cambodian institutions to broader regional green investment networks, including ASEAN-BUILT. About the Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) The Association of Banks in Cambodia promotes the growth and development of the Cambodian financial system, representing commercial and specialized banks across the country in advancing sustainable finance principles and international best practices. About the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) The Global Green Growth Institute is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.