Achieving net zero by 2050 is essential to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. This will help to ensure blue skies and a more stable climate for future generations. In an effort to increase public awareness of climate change and support for more ambitious climate action in the country, in 2020, GGGI launched and co-hosted the Blue Skies & Net zero 2050 Campaign.  

The Campaign for Blue Skies and Net zero 2050 is a platform for all stakeholders to support governments to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 through promoting country climate actions that contribute to clear skies and net zero. The Campaign would also introduce tangible solutions as alternatives to traditional polluting practices through collaboration with government partners, local communities and other key stakeholders.  

In Cambodia, the Campaign aims to conduct public awareness raising activities and to do mass knowledge transfer among critical stakeholders and the general public about the dangers of air pollution, its causes and solutions. The activities of the Blue Skies & Net zero 2050 Campaign in Cambodia will be in line with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s priorities, set in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to achieve net zero emissions pledge.

At the launch event on 15 November 2023, H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth, Minister of Environment, launched the ‘Blue Skies & Net Zero 2050 Campaign, making Cambodia the first GGGI member country in Southeast Asia to endorse the GGGI’s global initiative. The campaign and the first event aim to raise awareness of Cambodia’s climate actions and to build more support to achieve a net zero emission goal by 2050. The launching of Blue Skies & Net Zero 2050 Campaign in Cambodia was done together with the launch of Ministry of Environment’s Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028. The event was joined by over 500 participants and was also supported by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Oxfam in Cambodia.

In the launching event, H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth, said, “This creates an excellent platform for engaging all stakeholders, including the youth, in raising awareness on climate change and building resilience. I am committed to promoting clean, green, and sustainable for the development of Cambodia and this campaign is in line with our vision.” A range of essential topics were discussed during the high-level panel session and youth debate at the event which took place at Mok Mareth Hall, Ministry of Environment. These included the urgent need to highlighting the necessary transformation of Cambodia’s transportation and industry sectors to mitigate their negative impacts on air quality, and the need for investment, and the evolving landscape of the green finance sector in the country. These discussions emphasized the significance of transitioning towards sustainable practices and technologies to combat climate change in Cambodia.

Ms. Shomi Kim, GGGI Country Representative in Cambodia, said, “We are pleased to witness the enthusiasm among government stakeholders, development partners, private sector and the youth, all coming together in one place to collectively discuss and debate on the progress and reflection of Cambodia’s journey toward achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”

Further discussions explored the strategic involvement of the private sector, and youth-led initiatives focused on sustainability. The Blue Skies & Net Zero 2050 Campaign in Cambodia aims to raise awareness about of climate actions that align with the priorities of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s priorities, set in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN) as well as other national policies and targets. In addition to the onsite event, the first event also ran a social media campaign that lasted three weeks. It included a promotion of key messages related to the campaign and impacts of climate change, and a fun social media quiz. Overall, over 60 people participated in the social media quiz while the campaign reached between 8,000 people to 12,000 people (organic).

The next event of the Blue Skies and Net Zero 2050 Campaign is scheduled for 2024.