- Cambodia and Japan sign MoC to boost cooperation on climate action, biodiversity, and sustainable growth.
- Agreement focuses on climate mitigation, circular economy, pollution prevention, and biodiversity conservation in Cambodia.
- MoC aims to enhance environmental law enforcement, governance, and institutional capacity for natural resource management.
Cambodia and Japan have formalised enhanced environmental cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) which establishes their commitment to climate action and pollution prevention and circular economy initiatives and biodiversity conservation efforts.
The agreement was signed on February 16, 2026, in Tokyo by Cambodia’s Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth and his Japanese counterpart Ishihara Hirotaka. The partnership establishes a new path to solve environmental problems through its combination of strategic interests and technical abilities from both countries.
The MoC outlines four key areas of cooperation. The first pillar includes climate change mitigation and adaptation, which Cambodia plans to achieve through multiple sectors that will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2035.
The second pillar focuses on developing a circular economy, which requires organizations to manage plastic waste effectively while using resources in environmentally sustainable ways.
The third pillar provides pollution prevention through its modernized monitoring systems, which monitor air and land and water quality to protect public health and environmental health.
The fourth pillar dedicates itself to biodiversity conservation, which sees natural ecosystems as vital infrastructure that enables sustained environmental progress toward carbon neutrality by 2050.
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During Minister Sophalleth's visit to Japan he signed the MoC while leading a Cambodian environmental delegation which attended multiple sector-related meetings.
The Japan Federation of Shiho-Shoshi Lawyers' Associations signed a second MoC on the same day to strengthen environmental law enforcement and governance efforts.
The accompanying agreement will establish better legal frameworks and increase regulatory permitting transparency and develop institutional capacity for natural resource management in Cambodia.
Japanese officials, including Federation president Ozawa Yoshinori, showed their support for Cambodia's efforts to forecast environmental conditions and manage its environmental resources.
The two countries will enhance their environmental cooperation through this expanded partnership, which will promote their joint commitment to sustainable development and institutional development and climate resilience.