PHNOM PENH: Cambodia and 43 other least developed countries (LDCs) have called on the international community to increase funding to help vulnerable nations respond to climate change.
Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth made the appeal as he delivered a keynote address at a Sept 1-4 LDC ministerial meeting on climate change in Dili, Timor-Leste. He highlighted the impact of climate change on agriculture, health, the environment, natural resources and wider socio-economic development.
The minister urged developed countries to increase climate finance in line with the needs and requests of the 44 LDCs, according to a Sept 3 environment ministry statement.
Sophalleth noted that Cambodia remained committed to global climate action through its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which sets a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 55 per cent by 2035 and moving towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
He also called for continued international efforts to keep global warming within the 1.5C limit set under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The attendees have agreed to the 2026 Dili Declaration on Climate Change, which sets out their common position ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).
The declaration calls for faster and stronger climate action to keep the 1.5C target within reach, while strengthening international cooperation and advocating increased climate finance, particularly for adaptation, technology transfer, capacity building and effective implementation of NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
The Dili meeting followed Timor-Leste’s assumption of the chairmanship of the LDC Group on Climate Change for 2026-27.
The outcomes of the meeting will be submitted to COP31, which will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
