Delighted to welcome Ms. Florika Fink-Hooijer to visit and work in Vietnam, Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan highly appreciated the EU's support for the natural resources and environment sector in recent times, and hoped that the EU and Vietnam would continue to cooperate closely to solve common issues such as developing a circular economy, reducing emissions, responding to climate change, preserving nature and biodiversity.

Vietnam seriously reduces emissions, green transition

Discussing specific contents, the Deputy Minister said that the circular economy has been internalized in the Law on Environmental Protection 2020. By June 2022, the Prime Minister approved the Circular Economy Development Project in Vietnam with the specific goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions intensity per GDP by at least 15% by 2030 compared to 2014, towards the goal of net emissions to "0" by 2050.

To achieve this goal, the Deputy Minister proposed that the EU support Vietnam in accessing knowledge, skills and resources for circular economic development through specific pilot projects on circular economy; projects on environmentally friendly technology and services; reviewing and perfecting the policy and legal framework to create a complete legal corridor for circular economic development; and enhancing public-private dialogue on circular economic development.

Along with promoting the circular economy, Vietnam is also seriously implementing emission reduction through green transformation of industries and sectors, typically energy transformation. The Deputy Minister said that the Government's approval of the Power Plan VIII, with the orientation of strongly developing renewable energy, clearly shows Vietnam's strong determination towards zero net emissions. The Prime Minister also resolutely directed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to develop a national marine spatial plan to facilitate the development of clean energy sources. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will also issue green criteria for economic sectors; on that basis, there will be tools for green finance, green credit, etc. "This is a policy driving force to support green production enterprises and green growth" - the Deputy Minister emphasized.

Sharing about Vietnam's efforts in combating ocean plastic waste, Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan affirmed that over the past time, Vietnam has always played the role of one of the pioneering countries in committing and taking drastic actions to reduce ocean plastic waste pollution and is one of the leading countries in supporting the idea and proposing the construction of a legally binding global agreement to address the problem of plastic waste pollution in general.

It is known that the Future Agreement is expected to be a legally binding international instrument. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as the leading agency assigned by the Prime Minister, is coordinating with relevant ministries and branches to review current legal documents, organize the development of plans, scenarios and negotiation viewpoints on the basis of compliance with the principles of the Law on International Treaties 2016, ensuring national interests and in accordance with the country's development conditions, on the basis of consulting the viewpoints of groups of countries with similar conditions and development levels, and reporting to the Prime Minister for approval.

“For this content, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment proposes that the EU pay attention to and support Vietnam in establishing a database on plastics, as a foundation for research and analysis of impacts and policies that need to be adjusted when participating in the negotiation process; support sharing of experiences in building policy mechanisms and transferring technology related to the treatment and recycling of plastic waste in general and ocean plastic waste in particular,” said the Deputy Minister.

Committed to international biodiversity conservation

Talking to Ms. Florika Fink-Hooijer about biodiversity conservation, Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan said that Vietnam is one of the 12 biodiversity centers, one of the 16 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world with rare genetic resources. However, like many countries in the world, Vietnam is facing biodiversity degradation along with other huge challenges such as the Covid pandemic, environmental and water pollution, land degradation, ocean plastic waste and the extreme effects of climate change.

Faced with these challenges, in January 2022, the Vietnamese Government approved the National Strategy on Biodiversity to 2030, with a vision to 2050, demonstrating the great determination of the Vietnamese Government in biodiversity conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems throughout Vietnam.

Internationally, Vietnam joined and became an official member of the Convention on Biological Diversity since 1994. Notably, at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Canada at the end of 2022, as Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the Conference, the Deputy Minister supported the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

“A series of commitments that Vietnam has participated in once again clearly demonstrates the responsibility and determination of the Vietnamese Government in the work of biodiversity conservation and restoration of natural values. However, I believe that, in order to reverse the degradation of biodiversity, in addition to the commitment of leaders, we need initiatives and fundamental solutions to the challenges we are facing,” said Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan.

With the information shared by the Deputy Minister, Ms. Florika Fink-Hooijer highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts in environmental protection and climate change response. Ms. Florika Fink-Hooijer affirmed: The EU is always ready to share and accompany Vietnam in green transformation. Accordingly, Vietnam needs to promote sustainable business models, improve people's livelihoods, ensure food security and implement sustainable development goals./.