Cambodia – A Frontier Market for Energy Efficiency and Growth
Foreign investment in Cambodia grew more than 800% in the last ten years.
Cambodia has been under the radar of investors for years, but seeing as
the country has a limited reliance on foreign currency, it is now seen
as a good place to diversify any portfolio.
The country is seen as the final frontier of Southeast Asia in many
aspects, but Cambodia is turning that around as housing prices increase
and energy efficiency comes into play with new developments across the
country.
Energy Efficiency as a National Priority
Cambodia’s main industry is manufacturing which makes up 80% of the country’s exports.
With all this industry, the government has taken measures to make sure
that the pollution rates of the country stay in check. Currently,
Cambodia’s pollution rate is lower than in neighboring countries with
only 1.96 megatons of CO2 emissions annually compared
with 6 megatons in Thailand. This is expected to rise at a rate of 3.3%
per year. The Royal Government of Cambodia has taken measures such as
upgrading the power grid and putting pollution restrictions on new
developments to curb this in the future.
What Can You Do From Home?
Increasing
your energy efficiency at home in Cambodia should be a priority as well
because energy bills will lower and it will help the local environment.
Environmentally friendly appliances like dishwashers can help save water and limit waste as the average dishwasher saves 90 litres of water per load. Similarly, growing food at home has a big environmental impact as transport is not needed to get it from farm to plate.
Adapting Your House & Cambodian Initiatives
Electricity
is a big concern for many households in Cambodia as the grid continues
to grow and prices increase with it. Putting solar panels on the roof of
your house is a way to limit your impact on the ever straining grid and
save money every month on electricity. In conjunction with this, the Cambodian Firewood Saving Project is
an initiative designed to bring new kitchen appliances to Cambodian
homes and reduce firewood use. The goal of this project is to reduce the
impact on the environment and to promote responsible economic growth in
Cambodia.
Cambodia’s Future
Cambodia’s economic future looks bright. Taking environmental protections serious today will not only help businesses and households to grow more efficiently in the future but also make them more sustainable in the long term. Taking the first step begins at home and adapting it to modern environmental standards will pay off environmentally and financially.