Cambodia Sets An Example By Launching National Cooling Action Plan To Tackle Climate Change

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A National Cooling Action Plan of the Government of Cambodia was launched in Phnom Penh on March 9, 2023.

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Cooling is one of the largest contributors to global warming. So, with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) & the United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Cambodian government  has launched an ambitious cooling plan under the framework of the Cool Coalition, a global effort led by UNEP to drive action on sustainable cooling.

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In order to tackle climate change, sustainable approaches to cooling are required. Such approaches reduce food losses, enhance access to health care & medicines, enable productive work, & protect against heat stress, which is particularly important in a country where heat stress leads to an annual GDP loss of at least US$1.12 billion.

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Dechen Tsering, UNEP Regional Director & Representative for Asia & the Pacific, said, "If we are serious about reversing current climate trends, we cannot go about cooling our planet with a business-as-usual approach. As Cambodia’s demand for cooling grows, it has an important opportunity to adopt a new pathway on cooling, showing the possibility and potential of a system-wide approach to cooling that is equitable, efficient, and climate-friendly."

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Owing to a hot & humid climate,demand for space cooling in Cambodia is set to double in the next 20 years. 45% of electricity is consumed nationally. NCAP of Cambodia is therefore, an important way to reduce the climate & economic impacts of increased demand for cooling.

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Mr. Say Samal, Minister of Environment, Rheyza Royal Government of Cambodia, said, "Cambodia is demonstrating her willingness to be a leader in delivering sustainable cooling with the development of a National Cooling Action Plan to help realize her Nationally Determined Contribution and Long-term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality of building a sustainable, green, clean and low-carbon economy"

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Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP & Under-Secretary General of the UN, said, "It is critical that the country mitigates rising cooling-related energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions while protecting the resilience of its energy systems".

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