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| Vietnam and Indonesia have made many commitments to cooperate on green development within the framework of General Secretary To Lam's State visit to Indonesia last March, upgrading bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
How does the Ambassador assess the role and importance of the 4th Partnership for Green Growth and the Global Goals (P4G) Summit with the theme "Sustainable green transformation, people-centered" in the current international context?
The 4th P4G Summit, hosted by the Government of Vietnam on April 16-17, marks an important milestone in promoting global commitment to sustainable development. Following the success of previous Summits in Copenhagen (2018), Seoul (2021) and Colombia (2023), I believe that this Summit will continue to create strong momentum to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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| Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi. (Source: Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam) |
The theme of the 4th P4G Conference – “Sustainable green transformation, people-centered” is a natural evolution from the theme of the previous Conference: “Transformational partners for sustainability”.
This year's theme emphasizes inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation and people – key elements to ensure a successful green transition.
This focus is fully aligned with the SDGs, particularly those related to affordable clean energy, industrial innovation and sustainable urban development.
The urgency of the green transition cannot be underestimated. Economic growth should not come at the expense of environmental degradation. Yet UN reports show that progress on the SDGs has slowed significantly, with only 17% of targets on track.
One of the main reasons for this is the financing gap. Developing countries face a shortfall of around $4 trillion per year to meet the SDGs by 2030. This shortfall hinders their ability to invest in sustainable infrastructure and technology, slowing the global transition to a green economy.
The 4th P4G Summit addresses this challenge by creating a platform for developing countries to access development assistance and financing from P4G partners. This support is critical to mobilizing the investment needed to accelerate the green transition and achieve the SDGs. Furthermore, the summit’s focus on innovative cooperation models is also in line with calls for reform of the international financial system to more effectively support sustainable development.
Vietnam is always striving to achieve the SDGs. Observing this reality, how does the Ambassador feel about the efforts to address the challenges and contribute to the United Nations' key priorities in promoting sustainable development?
I appreciate Vietnam's efforts in hosting the 4th P4G Summit, which demonstrates Vietnam's strong commitment to supporting the green transition and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Vietnam is one of the few countries that has maintained rapid and stable economic growth, even amid the global challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. This resilience reflects not only Vietnam’s flexible and dynamic approach to development but also its ability to balance economic growth and sustainability.
With a policy of not trading progress, social justice and the environment for economic growth, Vietnam has taken concrete steps such as issuing policies to respond to climate change, reduce emissions and convert energy; perfecting policies on resource management and environmental protection, especially through amending the Land Law, the Water Resources Law and the Electricity Law.
Vietnam also plans to pilot a carbon credit trading platform in 2025, demonstrating its desire to accompany and integrate with the world in the green sector. This proves that developing countries can also play an important role in promoting the SDGs.
If we fail to achieve the SDGs, the risks are enormous. Vietnam’s proactive role at the P4G Summit is a testament to its commitment to preventing these consequences, and its efforts are also a strong call to action globally to address the most pressing challenges of our time.
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| The Lontar Steam Power Plant located in Tangerang District, Banten (Indonesia) won the 2024 Subroto Award for its contributions to emission reduction. (Source: Antara) |
How can Vietnam and Indonesia cooperate in promoting the policy pillars under the P4G framework at the bilateral, ASEAN or global multilateral forums, Ambassador?
As global challenges become increasingly complex, Indonesia and Vietnam need to work together to ensure that economic progress goes hand in hand with sustainability, by promoting the key pillars of the P4G initiative.
One of the key pillars of the P4G initiative is clean energy. Historically, Indonesia and Vietnam have relied heavily on fossil fuels for their growth.
To transition to a greener economy, both countries need to work together on energy diversification, including developing an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem and implementing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). At the same time, joint investment in renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar and wind power, is also an important factor for Indonesia and Vietnam to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Ensuring access to clean water and sanitation is another key pillar of P4G, and a major challenge for countries with large populations. Sustainable urban development is essential to addressing these issues. Collaborative initiatives on waste management and water treatment technologies can help improve sustainability, increase climate resilience, and move towards greener, cleaner, and more sustainable cities.
Addressing hunger and promoting responsible consumption are also important pillars of P4G. In Vietnam, about 7 million tons of food are wasted each year, while in Indonesia the figure is as high as 14.7 million tons. This not only causes significant economic losses, but also has negative impacts on the environment and threatens food security.
As the two most populous countries in ASEAN, the development and progress of Indonesia and Vietnam will have a significant impact on the entire region. Therefore, both countries need to take the lead in promoting regional cooperation on sustainable development.
By strengthening multilateral partnerships and leveraging international support, Indonesia and Vietnam can create an economic growth model that is both inclusive and environmentally responsible, contributing to the common development of ASEAN, the region and the world.
Thank you very much Ambassador!
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-indonesia-hoi-nghi-thuong-dinh-p4g-la-loi-keu-goi-hanh-dong-truoc-thach-thuc-cap-bach-cua-thoi-dai-311125.html
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