Phnom Penh: 2 October 2025 Representatives of the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Australian Embassy, and the United Nations Development Programme joined EnergyLab Asia to launch Cambodia’s largest clean energy event, Clean Energy Week (CEW) 2025.
Under the theme “Unlocking a Clean Energy Economy,” the week-long series of events running from 2 to 9 October focuses on the vital role that clean energy can play in securing the country’s economic future. It was showcasing how clean energy can strengthen Cambodia’s existing industries, such as garment production and tourism, while attracting millions of dollars of new investment in energy-intensive and clean technology industries.
Clean Energy Week 2025 will supercharge this progress, allowing stakeholders to share new ideas, discuss policy solutions, and forge partnerships. The week’s programme will focus on the critical issues in Cambodia’s clean energy transition, such as unleashing Cambodia’s clean energy skills potential and women’s economic empowerment through the just energy transition.
There will also be an engaging evening of original short documentaries by Cambodian students telling stories of clean energy innovations and successes, plus an exhibition showcasing original Solarpunk artwork by Cambodians and digital works by artists from across Southeast Asia.
The centrepiece of the week is the Clean Energy Week Summit on 2 October at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, which gathered policymakers, industry leaders, financial institutions, and development partners for strategic discussions that will shape Cambodia’s clean energy future.
Speaking at the Summit, H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation, said, “Clean energy is essential to Cambodia’s industrial growth. The transition to clean energy will position us well in the regional and global supply chain. It will generate new sources of economic growth and quality jobs.”
Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Derek Yip, said, “With effective clean energy policies, Cambodia can strengthen its economy by improving energy reliability, reducing costs, and attracting responsible investment. These efforts will not only help combat climate change but also unlock access to increasingly climate-conscious international markets.”
Driven by the leadership of Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s 7th mandate, the Kingdom has set strong targets: 70 per cent renewable energy, 19 per cent improvement in energy efficiency and 770,000 electric vehicles on the road, all by 2030.
Emphasising the significance of access to clean energy for Cambodia’s development, Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP Resident Representative in Cambodia, said, “In every country UNDP works, the energy sector is at the forefront of our collective Agenda 2030 objectives. A transition toward net-zero holds the key to indispensable accelerators of sustainable development with attributes such as socio-economic resilience, fiscal affordability, and human security. Cambodia can achieve its development ambitions by moving towards universal access to clean, efficient, affordable, and inclusive energy. UNDP stands ready to play its role alongside the Royal Government of Cambodia in support of a meaningful green finance transition, reducing the cost to public finance and de-risking what is certainly a capital-intensive transformation.”
EnergyLab Asia Regional Director Natharoun Ngo Son added, “Cambodia has a generational opportunity to leverage clean energy to drive the country’s economic competitiveness and show that Cambodia is ready to take advantage of the new clean energy paradigm.”
As Clean Energy Week 2025 unfolds, it will continue to put Cambodia on the regional map as a leader in clean energy. With continued support from international partners such as Australia, a founding sponsor of Clean Energy Week since 2018 and the main sponsor this year, Cambodia is poised to transform its energy landscape in a way that benefits not just the country but the entire region.
Photo by: Srey Kumneth
