Cambodia

CapCEE : Building Cambodia’s Energy Efficiency Capacity

Cambodian institutions now have the opportunity to play a central role in the country’s energy transition. Through targeted training and infrastructure support, the CapCEE project is helping shape a new generation of qualified energy managers and auditors who will support the implementation of Cambodia’s National Energy Efficiency Policy (NEEP) and contribute to a low-carbon future.

Bridging the skills gap for a low-carbon Cambodia

Context and challenges

Cambodia has experienced a sharp rise in energy consumption over the past two decades, with total final energy use increasing by 6.6% annually between 2000 and 2010, and 7.9% per year from 2010 to 2019. In response, the government introduced the National Energy Efficiency Policy (NEEP) 2022–2030, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050 under the Long-Term Strategy for Carbon Neutrality (LTS4CN).

Achieving these targets requires substantial improvements in energy efficiency across strategic sectors such as industry, real estate, and construction. Energy managers and auditors play a vital role in monitoring and optimizing energy use, yet Cambodia currently lacks enough trained professionals in these areas. As a result, many companies depend on foreign expertise.

To address this gap, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) is developing the Cambodia Energy Manager and Auditor Training Program (CEMAT) at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC). The CapCEE project, led by Geres and implemented by ITC in close collaboration with MME, supports these national efforts by strengthening local capacity and accelerating Cambodia’s transition to a cleaner and more efficient energy future.

Turning policy into practice: building local expertise for the energy transition

Objectives and solutions

CapCEE aims to provide Cambodian institutions with the resources, training structure, and technical capacity to produce a pool of qualified energy managers and auditors. These professionals will play a key role in implementing national policy and promoting sustainable development.

The project aims to achieve the following:

Training ITC lecturers and project partners on energy management and energy efficiency topics, including exchange visits to regional training centers to learn from best practices;
Upgrading ITC’s training facilities and integrating digital tools developed by Geres to enhance training accessibility and efficiency;
Certifying at least 60 professionals as energy managers and auditors, with a target of 30% women;
Strengthening the capacity of 48 provincial public authority staff through workshops on energy efficiency and climate change (including Climate Fresk workshops).

Beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries:

Approximately 8 lecturers and researchers at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC)
Around 60 future energy managers and auditorsEn
At least 48 provincial public authority staff under the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), across four provinces

Indirect beneficiaries:

Around 60 individuals from approximately 60 companies requiring certified energy managers and energy audits
Representatives from the wider industry and public services in Cambodia, including:
- 750 members of TAFTAC
- 200 members of the French Chamber of Commerce
- 250 members of the American Chamber of Commerce
- 400 members of the European Chamber of Commerce