Cambodian NGOs Set Out Climate Priorities Ahead of COP31

Cambodia is calling for easier and more reliable access to climate finance, stronger backing for adaptation and resilience, and a fair transition that protects vulnerable groups as it prepares for COP31 in November.

The NGO Forum on Cambodia, working with Oxfam, held a national preparatory consultation in Phnom Penh on September 23. The event gathered about 80 participants from government bodies, civil society, local communities, disability groups, Indigenous communities, youth organisations, academia, the private sector, UN agencies and development partners.

According to a joint statement, the consultation aimed to shape a coordinated, evidence-based Cambodian position before COP31, scheduled for November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Turkiye.

Participants said international climate talks should produce practical assistance for developing countries already facing worsening climate impacts, while also safeguarding livelihoods, food security and economic growth.

The discussion focused partly on Cambodia’s planned graduation from Least Developed Country status, the rollout of its Third Nationally Determined Contribution, known as NDC 3.0, and the need to keep access to concessional climate funding and technical assistance during that transition.

Soeung Saroeun, executive director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia, said locally led climate action involving multiple stakeholders is essential for responding to climate change sustainably. He said funding and other resources should reach local communities without unnecessary barriers or conditions.

He added that he hoped global leaders, especially countries with high emissions, would listen to those concerns.

Phean Sophoan, national director of Oxfam in Cambodia, said Cambodia’s climate goals must be supported by international finance. She noted that the country has pledged to cut emissions by 55% by 2035 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

She said a fair global climate system should not ask vulnerable countries such as Cambodia to raise their ambition while reducing concessional support after LDC graduation. She called on COP31 to provide grant-based, predictable and debt-resilient finance so the transition from LDC status strengthens sustainable development rather than increasing climate risk.

Community representatives also described how shifting weather patterns are affecting rural incomes and food supplies.

Yem Channy, a community participant from Stung Treng province, said families who depend on rainfall, crops and river fisheries are being hit by unpredictable weather, damaged harvests and rising debt. She called for stronger support for local adaptation, protection of natural resources and climate finance that reaches frontline communities.

Key issues discussed

• Climate finance, adaptation and mitigation
• Loss and damage
• Implementation of NDC 3.0
• A just energy transition
• Nature-based solutions and carbon markets
• Climate-resilient agriculture and food systems
• Green investment and gender-responsive climate action

Organisers recommended that countries graduating from LDC status retain access to climate finance, that grant-based adaptation funding be increased, and that direct access to the Loss and Damage Fund be strengthened. They also urged global adaptation frameworks to recognise the role of freshwater ecosystems, including the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap Basin.