AKP Phnom Penh, February 16, 2026 --

Cambodia and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) aimed at strengthening bilateral collaboration on environmental protection through four key strategic pillars.

The MoC was signed on Feb. 16 in Tokyo by H.E. Dr. Eang Sophalleth, Cambodian Minister of Environment, and his Japanese counterpart H.E. Ishihara Hirotaka, during an official ceremony held at the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.

The agreement focuses on cooperation in climate change mitigation and adaptation, with Cambodia targeting a 55 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. Priority sectors include energy, industry, agriculture, forestry, and waste management.

Another major pillar is the promotion of a circular economy, particularly through improved plastic waste management and more efficient use of natural resources, in support of a clean, green, and sustainable future.

The MoC also emphasises pollution control, including the modernisation of systems to monitor air, soil, and water quality in order to better protect public health.

In addition, both sides agreed to enhance biodiversity conservation by recognising natural ecosystems as “natural infrastructure,” underscoring the importance of conservation and restoration efforts to achieve Cambodia’s carbon neutrality goal by 2050.

By C. Nika