Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth has claimed that two campaigns by the environment ministry have helped reduce the use of plastics by more than 74 per cent in the past 11 months. This has contributed to the prevention of the environmental impact caused by plastic waste, especially the pollution of rivers and seas, he explained.

He made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the first “Blue Talk” discussion on the protection of Cambodia's oceans and marine biodiversity organised by the French embassy in Cambodia on July 23 in Preah Sihanouk province.

Sophalleth highlighted the ministry’s "Today I Do Not Use Plastic Bags" campaign, in which more than 8 million people participated.

In addition, he noted that the ministry has initiated another campaign called “Cambodia Sa'at (beautiful), Khmer Can Do," which has seen participation from more than 600 out of 1,652 communes in just two months.

“Looking at the statistics, Cambodia has reduced the use of plastic by 74.1 per cent in the past 11 months compared to last year.,” he stated.

About half of all plastic has the potential to harm the environment, falling into the sea or rivers, which is why we must continue decreasing its use, he added.

The minister also noted that all countries are facing climate change issues and Cambodia does not want to see its seas suffer from its effects. He said the country will actively participate in ensuring the sustainable extraction of marine natural resources. To achieve this, it needs the involvement of stakeholders in marine health care, he said.

Sophalleth stressed that pollution by plastic is caused by poor waste management, which leads to negative impacts on human health, society, the economy and environment and leads to the contamination of seas and wildlife.

“We know that dumping garbage at sea is a problem not only in Cambodia but all over the world. We are working towards reducing or, if possible, eliminating marine littering in Cambodia. It is the common duty [of all countries] to conserve … oceans and marine resources for sustainable development,” he said.

About 10 million plastic bags are used every day in Phnom Penh, while a Cambodian living in the country's urban centres uses more than 2,000 a year, the ministry posted on its website in 2020.

People living in coastal areas use an average of 12 plastic bags per household per day, and about 48 per cent of that waste is dumped into the sea, according to a report released by Fauna & Flora Cambodia in 2019.

The increase in the amount of plastic waste poses a serious threat to the environment, biodiversity, human health and the national economy, the minister said.

UN statistics show that by 2050, the volume of plastic in the ocean will exceed that of fish.

The July 23 meeting was held in preparation for the third UN Conference on the Ocean (UNOC3), to be held in Nice, France in June 2025.

In addition to Sophalleth and French ambassador to Cambodia Jacques Pellet, the event was attended by provincial deputy governor Long Dimanche, Jean-Pierre Marcelli, regional director of the French Development Agency (AFD) for Southeast Asia, and representatives from relevant ministries, NGOs, EU delegations, UN agencies and the private sector.

At the gathering, participants discussed the challenges of the blue economy, ecotourism, maritime trade and responsible agriculture, according to the French embassy.

Regarding issues of the environment and climate change, Sophalleth will host the 6th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Environment Ministerial Meeting (EMM-6) from September 10-13.

In preparation for that event, the minister co-chaired a consultation meeting on July 23 in Sihanoukville on the 2030 Strategic Framework for Accelerating Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability in the GMS.

The meeting aimed to identify common priorities, investment requirements and technical assistance for inclusion in the draft 2030 Strategic Framework, which will be submitted to EMM-6 for approval in September, according to the ministry.

It was attended by delegates from the member countries of the GMS, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, China and Myanmar (which attended remotely) as well as representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the private sector and civil society organisations (CSOs).