2. Strategy for green development

Cambodia has become one of the first countries in the world to develop a "National Green Growth Roadmap " in 2010. Subsequently, the Cambodian National Strategic Plan on Green Growth (NSPGG) 2013-2030 and the National Policy on Green Growth (NPGG) 2013- 2030 were published under the coordination of the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD).

The National Strategic Plan for Green Growth outlines key strategies to enhance green growth, including: (i) promoting renewable energy, especially in rural areas; (ii) improving the efficient use of natural resources and waste management; and (iii) developing indicators to show green economic growth

In 2013, the Government of Cambodia launched the Cambodia Climate Change Strategic Plan 2014-2023 (CCCSP) setting out a vision and goals for the country to develop towards a green, low-carbon, climate-resilient, equitable, sustainable and knowledge-based economy. The CCCSP captures the main strategic goals and directions for Cambodia’s climate-smart development over the ten-year period. It seeks to build synergies with existing government policies to ensure strategic cohesion to address a wide range of climate change issues related to adaptation, greenhouse gas mitigation and low-carbon development.

The eight strategic objectives defined in the document are the following:

1. promote climate resilience through improved food, water and energy security;

2. reduce the vulnerability of sectors, regions, gender equality and health to climate impacts;

3. ensure climate resilience of critical ecosystems ( Tonle Lake Sap , Mekong River, coastal ecosystems, plateaus, etc.), biodiversity, protected areas and cultural heritage sites;

4. promote low-carbon planning and technologies to support the country's sustainable development;

5. improve capacity, knowledge and awareness for responses to climate change;

6. promote adaptive social protection and participatory approaches to reduce losses and damages;

7. strengthen institutions and coordination frameworks for national responses to climate change;

8. strengthen collaboration and active participation in regional and global climate change processes.

Fifteen Climate Change Action Plans (CCAPs) were developed as part of the strategic plans, further detailing the executive missions of the ministries on climate change for the period 2014-2018. The CCAPs were drafted by executive officials with the approval of the government and were signed by the ministers in charge. The plans contain explicit details on the shared budget implications with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, explaining what share of the budget allocated to each ministry should be used to enforce the plans. They cover agriculture, forestry and fisheries; disaster management; education; gender; public health; water resources and meteorology; rural infrastructure; transport; land management, urban planning and construction; information; tourism; industry and handicrafts; the environment; and mining and energy.

Each of the CCAPs is an attempt to bring together economic or development objectives with climate change mitigation and adaptation.