PHNOM PENH: Cambodia on Tuesday (June 4) hosted the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) 2025 on climate change, offering young people an opportunity to help shape documents and share their vision for the kingdom's climate future.
Held in Phnom Penh, the conference brought together more than 250 young climate leaders, government officials, policymakers, and development partners.
It amplified youth voices in Cambodia's climate agenda and shaped the country's future commitments under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0.
Chuop Paris, a secretary of state of Cambodia's Ministry of Environment, said at the event that the government will submit its updated NDC3.0 in July 2025, aiming for greater ambition, acceleration and inclusivity to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions.
The youth's contributions will be included in the official youth statement to the official youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and reflected in the global youth statement ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
"The voices of young people are essential in shaping a resilient and sustainable future for Cambodia," Paris said.
"This conference is more than a platform for dialogue, it empowers youth to actively contribute meaningfully to our national climate agenda," he said. "As we work toward updating NDC 3.0, the ideas and energy of young Cambodians will play a central role in crafting inclusive and impactful climate solutions that safeguard our future."
According to Cambodia's Children's Climate Risk Index 2024, nearly two million children, more than one-third of the country's youth, live in areas of high or very high climate risk, particularly in rural areas.
The effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures, increased floods, droughts, and erratic weather patterns, are already impacting education, health, and livelihoods.
"The climate crisis is a child rights crisis. With nearly two-thirds of Cambodia's population under the age of 30, youth leadership must be embedded at every level of climate governance," said Anirban Chatterjee, deputy representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) to Cambodia.
"Children and young people may not have caused the climate crisis, but they are among the first to feel its effects," he said. - Xinhua
