To help the Cambodian government create more environmentally sustainable policies and acts that wouldn’t hinder the economic progress of the country, the Global Green Growth Institute has established a solid presence in the Kingdom. GGGI, as it is known, is an international inter-governmental organisation based in Seoul, Republic of Korea. It counts 28 members from developing and developed countries, with operations in countries all over the world. Led by former UN chief Ban Ki-moon, GGGI focuses on environmental sustainability that simultaneously targets transformational aspects of economic growth and social inclusion. Working across the 4 thematic sectors of Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Landscapes, and Green Cities, GGGI champions green growth and climate resilience. Good Times2’s Agnes Alpuerto talks with Karolien Casaer-Diez, the new country representative of GGGI in Cambodia, and Heng Pheakdey, who leads GGGI’s urban programme.
Good Times2: How long has GGGI been present in Cambodia? What role does it play in the government’s environmental and economic policies?
Karolien: GGGI is founded in 2010 as a Korean organisation and in 2012, at the Rio+20 Summit it became an international organisation. We have 28 Member countries now and we’re growing rapidly. Cambodia is one of GGGI’s founding members. We’ve had engagements with Cambodia since 2011, initially from a distance. We’ve had a physical presence in the country since 2015. So, we’re sitting in the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Public Works and Transport. That’s good presence in those three key ministries.
Our programme here is focused on green urban development. We’ve been working in the city of Phnom Penh and in seven secondary cities – Siem Reap, Battambang, Sihanoukville, Kep, Kampong Cham, Bavet and Suong. We’re looking at the opportunities, challenges and solutions related to green growth.
