Enviro News Asia, Phnom Penh — The Ministry of Environment of Cambodia, in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), organised a capacity-building workshop on bankable project development and Green Climate Fund (GCF) concept note preparation to enhance Cambodia’s readiness to mobilise climate finance.
The three-day workshop, held in collaboration with the Association of Banks in Cambodia, formed part of a two-year Green Climate Fund Readiness project aimed at strengthening national institutional and technical capacity for accessing climate finance. The initiative focuses on preparing private financial institutions for future engagement with the GCF, including potential accreditation as Direct Access Entities, and on developing a national pipeline of climate-responsive projects valued at more than USD 400 million.
Priority investment areas identified under the project include greening logistics and transport, climate finance for small and medium-sized enterprises, water, sanitation and waste management, ecosystem resilience in the Tonle Sap and major river basins, as well as the readiness of eco-industrial parks.
The workshop responded to gaps identified through a readiness needs assessment conducted in the previous year, which highlighted systemic, institutional and technical barriers to effective climate finance mobilisation. These findings informed Cambodia’s Readiness Action Plan 2025–2027, which emphasises private-sector engagement, targeted capacity building and structured project pipeline development.
More than 40 representatives from financial regulators, commercial banks, microfinance institutions, development partners and industry associations participated in the workshop. Sessions covered GCF governance and access modalities, investment criteria, results-based management, climate and financial additionality, and the structuring of financially viable and climate-aligned projects.
Participants were guided through the full project development process, from establishing climate rationale and policy alignment to designing investment logic, financing structures and draft concept notes aligned with national priorities and GCF requirements.
GGGI Cambodia Country Representative Nathalie Andre said the workshop marked a key milestone in Cambodia’s climate finance readiness efforts, noting that the focus now shifts toward translating enhanced capacity into concrete investments with measurable climate impact.
The programme concluded with group presentations of preliminary concept ideas, reflections on lessons learned and discussions on follow-up technical support. Outcomes from the workshop are expected to contribute to strengthening national readiness and advancing Cambodia’s NDC 3.0 commitments and long-term climate objectives. (*)
