Cambodia Urges Increased Climate Finance at LDC Ministerial Meeting

Cambodia's Minister of Environment, Dr. Eang Sophalleth, led the Cambodian delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group on Climate Change, held in Dili, Timor-Leste, on August 4, 2026. In his keynote address, he highlighted the impacts of climate change on Cambodia's economy and society, particularly in the agriculture, health, environment, and natural resource sectors. The Minister emphasized Cambodia's commitment to the international community through its submission of the Third National Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), setting a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 55% by 2035 and aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. This aligns with the international will to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement on climate change. He called upon the international community, especially developed countries, to increase financial packages for addressing and responding to climate change, as requested by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Cambodia also participated in the formulation of the Dili Declaration 2026 on Climate Change, aiming to express the common stance of the LDCs towards COP31. The declaration calls for stronger and faster climate action, maintaining and achieving the 1.5°C target, and strengthening international cooperation and advocacy for increased climate finance, particularly for adaptation, technology transfer, capacity building, and the effective implementation of NDCs and NAPs, while ensuring that the specific vulnerabilities and development needs of the LDCs are fully reflected in the COP31 outcomes.