The Tamesis
Phnom Penh – Environment Minister Eang Sophalleth and Japanese Foreign Minister Ishihara Hirotaka signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on environmental issues. The agreement was signed on February 16 at the Office of the Japanese Minister of Environment.
The Department of Transportation focuses on four strategic pillars. The first is climate change mitigation and adaptation: Cambodia aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2035, focusing on the energy, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management sectors. The second is a circular economy: prioritizing plastic waste management and resource efficiency to promote a “clean, green and sustainable” future.
The third is pollution prevention: Cambodia intends to modernize its monitoring systems for air, land and water quality to better protect public health. Finally, biodiversity conservation: Recognize that natural ecosystems are natural infrastructure and that their protection and restoration are critical to achieving the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
The signing came during Sofales’ visit to Tokyo, Japan, where he led a delegation from the Ministry of Environment to several relevant meetings. The delegation left Cambodia on the evening of Sunday, February 15th.
Previously, on February 16, a delegation from the Ministry of Environmental Protection signed a memorandum of understanding on environmental protection cooperation with the Japan Shiho Masashi Lawyers Association, aiming to strengthen environmental law enforcement and governance.
The Cambodian delegation was led by Sophal, and the Japanese delegation was led by Federation President Kadoku Ozawa.
Sophalleth explained that the agreement aims to achieve three main goals: to promote the enforcement of environmental laws; to enhance transparency in permitting and environmental governance; and to establish a stronger institutional framework for natural resource management.
“When our institutions are transparent and our laws support sustainability, we will lay the foundation for long-term success,” he said.
Ozawa said that the Federation will support and further strengthen cooperation with Cambodia and contribute to Cambodia’s environmental forecasting work.
