Green development, energy transition, and emission reduction are inevitable trends.

On the afternoon of July 14, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh , Head of the National Steering Committee for the implementation of Vietnam's commitments at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP26 Steering Committee) chaired the 4th meeting of the Steering Committee.

Thủ tướng Phạm Minh Chính chủ trì Phiên họp lần thứ 4 Ban chỉ đạo Quốc gia triển khai thực hiện cam kết của Việt Nam tại COP26. (Nguồn: TTXVN)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the 4th meeting of the National Steering Committee to implement Vietnam's commitments at COP26. (Source: VNA)

Speaking at the meeting, the Prime Minister affirmed that green development, energy conversion, and emission reduction are inevitable and irreversible trends, and Vietnam will not stand aside.

Attending the meeting were: Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; Steering Committee members who are Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies; leaders of central ministries and branches.

Synchronously and comprehensively implement commitments at COP26

According to the Steering Committee, immediately after attending COP26, the Government established a Steering Committee to implement Vietnam's commitments at the Conference. Since its establishment in December 2021, the National Steering Committee has held 3 meetings, discussed and reached consensus as a basis for the Government and the Prime Minister to consider and decide on many important issues.

Ministers and heads of government agencies have actively directed the implementation of assigned tasks, submitting to the Prime Minister many strategies, plans, projects and implementation plans at the national level.

In particular, developing and promulgating a project on tasks and solutions to implement the results of the COP26 Conference; national strategy on climate change for the period up to 2050; national action plan on green growth for the period 2021-2030; action plan on reducing methane emissions by 2030; action program on green energy conversion, reducing carbon and methane emissions in the transport sector; sustainable forestry development program for the period 2021-2030; power planning VIII.

The national energy master plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, is in the process of being completed and will be approved soon.

The Prime Minister has approved the updated 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in line with Vietnam's commitments at COP26 to be sent to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change... Ministers and members of the Steering Committee have directed the development of an action plan for the sector with specific targets to implement the commitments at COP26.

Along with that, communication work has been directed and implemented in many practical forms, contributing significantly to the people and business community unifying awareness and accompanying the Government in implementing commitments at COP26.

The Government, the Prime Minister and ministries and sectors continue to proactively negotiate with partners and international financial institutions to promote access to financial and technological resources, open up many opportunities for development cooperation, and move towards low-carbon growth.

Ministries and sectors have signed many cooperation agreements to implement COP26 commitments with international partners. Vietnam has successfully negotiated the Political Declaration to establish the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with G7 countries.

Localities have also taken action, organized and implemented Vietnam's commitments at the COP26 Conference, the goal of reducing net emissions to "0" by 2050, and implemented many activities at the local and grassroots levels.

Many state-owned corporations and groups have taken actions in conjunction with the Government, conducting research and implementing the gradual reduction of fossil energy sources, and developing plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many businesses have implemented digital transformation and green transformation to create leverage for economic development.

Several multinational corporations have cooperated with government agencies and domestic enterprises to achieve the goal of achieving net zero emissions. Promoting digital transformation, enhancing the application of science and technology, and innovation to become the driving force, creating spillover effects in key industries and fields...

Regarding the implementation of JETP, the JETP implementation project has been completed and submitted to the Prime Minister with 10 key task groups on: perfecting institutions; promoting the conversion of coal-fired power to clean energy; developing the industrial ecosystem and services on renewable energy; using energy economically and efficiently; upgrading the power transmission and distribution system, accelerating the roadmap for building smart grids and developing energy storage systems; converting to green energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector; ensuring fairness in energy transition, etc.

The Steering Committee focused on discussing: Mobilizing resources to implement Vietnam's green growth towards the commitment goal at the COP26 Conference on bringing net emissions to "0" by 2050; the plan to implement the commitment to convert coal power to clean energy, the national energy master plan and the implementation of the national power development plan; the plan to implement the Glasgow Declaration of leaders on forests and land use, projects to reduce emissions from forests and agriculture, etc.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the COP26 Steering Committee, acknowledged, highly appreciated and commended the efforts of ministries, branches, localities, members of the Steering Committee, and enterprises who were very determined, diligent, proactive, positive, and synchronous in implementing specific tasks after the 3rd meeting, towards the common goal of responsibly, effectively, and practically implementing Vietnam's commitments at COP26, contributing to the country's rapid and sustainable development.

The Prime Minister frankly pointed out that in implementing the tasks, there are still difficulties that need to be resolved, limitations that need to be learned from to do better, such as the slow and inactive development and completion of a number of mechanisms and policies to prioritize green transformation and green development, including regulations related to carbon credits, hydrogen energy, etc.; the negotiation, completion of mechanisms, policies, laws and the removal of difficulties and obstacles to mobilize social resources, especially from international partners, are still slow; the development of reports on equitable transition in each field has hardly been implemented because the issue is still new to ministries and branches; the awareness of a number of civil servants on green development is still limited, etc.

Thủ tướng Phạm Minh Chính phát biểu. (Nguồn: TTXVN)

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks. (Source: VNA)

Mobilizing resources for green development, energy transition

The Prime Minister said that green development, energy conversion, and emission reduction are inevitable and irreversible trends that Vietnam cannot stand outside of. It is also an opportunity to develop and restructure the economy in a green and sustainable direction; it is necessary to combine national strength with the strength of the times to fulfill commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the goal of sustainable national development, for a prosperous and happy life for the people. Green development must be sustainable, inclusive, comprehensive, and leave no one behind.

Therefore, all levels, sectors, the entire population and businesses must act with higher determination, greater efforts, and more drastic and effective actions.

The Prime Minister emphasized a number of key issues including perfecting institutions, mechanisms and policies; mobilizing all resources, in which connecting and attracting international resources, green financial flows, technology transfer, knowledge and experience from countries and international organizations are very important; promoting research, development and technology transfer to produce equipment, develop the renewable energy industry; perfecting appropriate and effective management methods for green development; training and fostering human resources for green development.

Regarding the key tasks in the coming time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Steering Committee and all levels and sectors to continue to accelerate the implementation of tasks to implement Vietnam's commitments at COP26 as stated in Decision No. 888/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, the National Strategy on Climate Change for the period up to 2050, the National Strategy on Green Growth for the period 2021-2030 and vision to 2050, the Nationally Determined Contribution updated in 2022 and commitments at COP26.

Ministries and sectors shall promptly complete synchronous mechanisms, policies and legal documents to remove difficulties and obstacles, mobilize the participation of the whole society in implementing Vietnam's commitments at COP26; attract resources to respond to climate change and energy transition; encourage domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to participate in responding to climate change and energy transition; encourage enterprises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, develop environmentally friendly production models; arrange resources to effectively implement according to the requirements of the Steering Committee.

The Prime Minister also requested relevant ministries and sectors to vigorously implement the JETP Declaration Implementation Project, develop a Plan to mobilize resources to implement JETP; proactively and actively exchange and discuss with the Group of International Partners, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero Emissions (GFANZ) and relevant parties.

Early submission of pilot mechanism for direct electricity purchase and sale

The Prime Minister requested ministries managing greenhouse gas emissions such as: Industry and Trade, Construction, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development to urgently issue detailed regulations on climate change response in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020; issue sector-level greenhouse gas emission reduction plans in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP; organize assessment and inventory of greenhouse gas emissions of enterprises and establishments to attach responsibility for emission reduction in accordance with Vietnam's commitment at COP26.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to develop a Decree regulating the management of carbon credits in accordance with the provisions of law on the development and promulgation of legal documents or to integrate amendments to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP, and submit it to the Government in the second quarter of 2024; to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant agencies to refer to the experiences of other countries, advise the Prime Minister to issue a Directive on the management of forest carbon credits in Vietnam to ensure the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contribution and the commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to promptly complete and submit for promulgation the Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) Pilot Mechanism between renewable energy power generators and large electricity users to accelerate equitable energy transition projects to implement Vietnam's commitments at the COP26 Conference; issue regulations to encourage the development of distributed/rooftop solar power projects; complete the Hydrogen Production Strategy in Vietnam; propose and develop a separate chapter on renewable energy in the amendment of the Electricity Law.

The Ministry of Finance focuses on completing the Project on developing the carbon market in Vietnam, submitting it to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval in July 2023; developing incentive mechanisms and policies for green growth. The Ministry of Planning and Investment urgently develops criteria for green growth.

The State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises focuses on directing its affiliated corporations and groups to urgently implement the conclusions of the Government Standing Committee at the meeting on June 10, 2023, promote production and business activities, strongly promote digital transformation, enhance the application of science and technology, and innovation to truly become a driving force, creating spillover effects in key industries and fields, especially the development of circular economy, green development, digital transformation, research and development of new energy such as hydrogen, wind power development, etc.

The Prime Minister emphasized that ministries, sectors, localities and enterprises need to continue to further promote communication activities, create high determination, act in unity and maintain momentum in implementing Vietnam's commitments at the COP26 Conference and a fair energy transition.

Also at the meeting, the COP26 Steering Committee announced the Prime Minister's Decision on the establishment and launch of the Secretariat for the implementation of the Political Declaration on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).

The Secretariat is headed by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh; the Deputy Heads and members of the Secretariat are leaders of a number of ministries, branches and central agencies.

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