Cambodia and UAE Pledge Joint Offensive on Climate Action

AKP Phnom Penh, July 07, 2026 -- Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates have formalised a strengthened bilateral commitment to combat climate change and accelerate sustainable development. The pledge came out of high-level talks between Cambodian Minister of Environment H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth and UAE Ambassador to Cambodia H.E. Obaid Saeed Obaid Bintaresh Aldhaheri at the Ministry’s headquarters in Phnom Penh, signaling a deepening of environmental diplomacy between Southeast Asia and the Gulf. Minister Sophalleth characterised the existing environmental partnership as highly active and expanding, reaffirming Cambodia’s resolve to align with global efforts against the climate crisis. He spotlighted the Kingdom’s recent domestic achievements, including a nationwide campaign that has significantly curbed plastic bag consumption – driven largely by student-led participation. “Cambodia is strictly enforcing environmental laws to curb land, water, and air pollution while aggressively expanding its green canopy,” H.E. Eang Sophalleth stated. He further detailed the Ministry’s reforestation offensive: while the country’s baseline target is 1 million trees annually, the Ministry has already prepared 5 million saplings for 2026 to bolster local planting and forest restoration initiatives. That massive scale-up forms a critical pillar of Cambodia’s strategic roadmap to dramatically increase forest cover and achieve total carbon neutrality by 2050. Both sides reaffirmed their mutual commitment to broaden cooperation across four core pillars: global environmental governance, climate change response, renewable energy deployment, and long-term sustainable development—cementing the UAE as a key partner in Cambodia’s green transition. By K. Rithy Reak