Cambodia Investment Review
The 30th Give a Day event, co-hosted by ADB Frontier and the GSG Cambodia National Partner under GSG Impact, took place on 4th July 2025 under the theme “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Integration Workshop – Focusing on Global Trends and Practical Tools in Cambodia.” Building on the momentum of Give a Day 20 and Give a Day 24, the event continued to drive forward the conversation on the role of ESG in shaping sustainable investment strategies for Cambodia’s evolving market.
Give a Day 30 specifically responded to calls made during previous sessions to deepen practical understanding of ESG—moving away from a perception of ESG as a compliance burden toward recognizing it as a strategic driver of operational sustainability, resilience, investment attraction, and long-term value creation. The workshop provided a timely platform for Cambodia’s intermediary organizations—both public and private—as well as financial institutions, and ESOs to explore ESG principles, tools, and case studies tailored to local realities.
Building Trust, Strengthening Partnerships, and Fostering Collaboration
Since its inception, Give a Day has become an action-driven platform for building trust, strengthening partnerships, and fostering collaboration among entrepreneurial ecosystem actors. By mid-2025, the initiative has engaged over 1,642 participants across 36 events in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Battambang. The 30th edition welcomed 66 participants from 44 organizations, who actively engaged in presentations, case study discussions, and breakout sessions—contributing concreate calls for actions aimed at addressing key challenges and identifying practical solutions
The workshop featured insights from ESG experts who explained that ESG is not a box-ticking exercise but a practical approach to managing risks and attracting investment. Ms. Francesca Puricelli, Sustainable Finance Expert, explained the differences between ESG, Impact Measurement and Management (IMM), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). ESG focuses on integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into business and investment decisions. IMM is used to track and improve impact. CSR is usually voluntary and focused on brand image. She also noted that ESG is growing fast in Asia Pacific due to new regulations, investor demand, and supply chain pressure and further outlined five steps for ESG integration: start with due diligence, set goals, apply ESG in daily operations, measure performance, and improve overtime.
Ms. Laurence Genee, Principal Safeguards Specialist at Asian Development Bank (ADB), shared about the history of ESG, along with the key issues, the tools and global standards like ADB’s Environmental and Social Framework and IFC guidelines that businesses can use to meet investor expectations.
Improve Business Performance, and Increase Access To Capital
Both speakers stressed that ESG helps reduce risk, improve business performance, and increase access to capital. Participants also worked in groups to map ESG risks and opportunities across four case studies using the tools introduced during the sessions.
Post-event survey results showed that 86% of participants gained better knowledge of ESG. 97.7% said Give a Day was an effective platform to connect with others. Most said the event helped them understand Cambodia’s business environment, identify market opportunities, and make new connections.
Give a Day 30 reinforced the platform’s role in enabling knowledge-sharing, cross-sector learning, and ecosystem-level coordination on themes that matter for inclusive and sustainable growth. The event concluded with a call for continued peer learning and collaboration on ESG implementation across Cambodia’s entrepreneurial and investment landscape.
Give a Day is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Khmer Enterprise (KE), and co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise (KE) and Swisscontact through the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative.
