Britain’s Ambassador to Cambodia, Tina Redshaw, has welcomed a UK announcement heralding the coming end of coal and emphasised Cambodia’s commitment to phasing-out the fossil fuel. A 190-strong coalition at the COP26 summit in Glasgow agreed yesterday to phase out coal power and end support for new coal-fired plants. “I welcome Cambodia’s announcement to stop any new coal power plants,” Ambassador Redshaw said. “We continue to encourage Cambodia to reconsider plants that are currently underway and prioritise new renewable energy sources. As President of COP26, we’re urging all countries to stop developing coal fired plants. Coal is a dying energy source and will leave countries with stranded assets,” she said. The ambassador joined the Transport Minister Sun Chanthol and the head of power monopoly Electricite du Cambodge at the Electrification of Vehicles for a Cleaner Cambodia yesterday, along with the Australian Ambassador. “We discussed the benefits of electric vehicles and the importance of electrification of transport for emissions reduction. The event coincides with the Energy day at the UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow. COP26 needs to see global energy transition to zero emissions transport. As we rebuild our economies, EVs allows job creation and new supply chains. I’m proud to be leading the charge as the first Ambassador with an electric vehicle,” she said. Mines and Energy Minister Suy Sem told Ambassador Redshaw this week that Cambodia does not plan to develop any new coal plants, apart from the ones already approved by the government since 2019. He said the government would continue to encourage investment in clean energy, which the ministry has pledged to focus heavily on in its coming power development plan. Sem said that, according to a study of Cambodia’s new energy development master plan which is being prepared by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ratio of the power of renewable energy sources will be about 59 percent. He said Cambodia would focus on natural gas and hydrogen, which are lower-carbon energy sources, to meet the Kingdom’s growing power needs. Sok Khavan, Secretary of State at the ministry is due to give more details on solar power and solar regulation, along with the government’s vision for the energy sector through to 2030, next week at an event organised by the European Chamber of Commerce. In the past year China, Japan and South Korea have committed to stop funding overseas coal power projects by the end of this year. The three nations are the world’s biggest public funders of the fossil fuel. Meanwhile, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa have secured cutting- edge finance from the Climate Investment Funds to support their just energy transition from coal to clean energy. Indonesia and the Philippines have announced partnerships with the Asian Development Bank to accelerate their clean transition, including the early retirement of coal plants.