Implementation of policies and laws on environmental protection: Economizing the environment, promoting circular economic models and recycling industries

At the recent working session between the National Assembly's Supervisory Delegation on "Implementation of policies and laws on environmental protection since the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 took effect" and the Government, members of the Supervisory Delegation recommended the need to innovate environmental management thinking, especially economicizing the environment, developing the environmental industry, promoting the circular economic model, and recycling industry.

Vice Chairwoman of the Economic and Financial Committee Doan Thi Thanh Mai:
Adjust goals and targets to suit investment resources and implementation feasibility.

I appreciate the drastic direction and management of the Government and the Prime Minister in environmental protection work in recent times. Environmental indicators have been increasingly improved in a positive direction... However, I request the Government to provide more information to the Monitoring Team on: the assessment and summary of the implementation of the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and guiding documents. At the same time, I request the Government to inform the roadmap for amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020.

Vice Chairwoman of the Economic and Financial Committee Doan Thi Thanh Mai

Along with that, the Government needs to re-evaluate the environmental protection goals and targets that must be achieved in the policies, resolutions, and decisions of competent authorities; clearly analyze the feasibility compared to the implementation resources, especially the targets on collection and classification of domestic solid waste at source, collection and treatment of urban domestic wastewater, treatment of wastewater from craft villages, improvement of urban air quality, etc. It is necessary to adjust the goals and targets in accordance with investment resources and ensure feasibility in implementation.

Balance and reasonably allocate environmental career expenditure sources and investment expenditures for environmental protection projects, especially drainage projects, urban wastewater treatment, and craft village wastewater treatment, which are areas that are difficult to attract social capital.

The Government needs to comprehensively assess the impact of promulgating environmental quality standards on compliance and the ability to invest in innovation of production technology and investment in environmental treatment equipment of operating projects and new investment projects, to ensure the goal of environmental protection, but not negatively affect the production and business activities of enterprises and the investment environment of the economy.

Full-time National Assembly member at the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Nguyen Ngoc Son:
Innovation in environmental management thinking

To complete the draft Monitoring Results Report and the draft Resolution, I suggest that the Government needs to identify, emphasize and clarify the political, legal and practical basis for proposing breakthrough solutions in the coming time.

Full-time National Assembly member at the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Nguyen Ngoc Son

Specifically, it is necessary to innovate environmental management thinking, identify environmental protection as an important content; the environment is one of the three central points in the thinking, vision and development orientation of the country between economy, society and environment. In particular, economicizing the environment, developing the environmental industry, promoting the circular economic model, recycling industry, especially in the current acceleration and breakthrough period. These are the central contents that need to be reflected in the Resolution of the National Assembly.

The Government needs to continue to review and supplement the report on the number of establishments causing serious environmental pollution nationwide in 3 periods: the period before, the period after the Law on Environmental Protection takes effect and at the time of reporting (may take the time as June 30, 2025) to have a basis for comparing the increase and decrease rates in each period, thereby assessing the change in practice.

Many shortcomings and limitations in the implementation organization have been frankly pointed out by the Government. However, the report sent to the Supervisory Delegation has not clarified the responsibilities of organizations and individuals and the process of handling the results of the shortcomings and limitations.

For example, the slow review, revision and replacement of TCVNs and QCVNs on the environment to meet the requirements of the new situation. The Government's report has pointed out but has not clearly specified whose responsibility it is and how to handle it? Or the lack of promulgation of regulations on mobilizing social resources to participate in environmental protection work...

It is recommended that the Government report and clarify the responsibilities of each organization and individual for the existence and limitations and draw lessons so that the above situation does not occur in the future organization and implementation process.

The Government's report also pointed out that human resources in the environmental sector are facing many challenges, failing to meet the requirements of management and handling increasingly complex environmental issues, especially the number of cadres and civil servants working in environmental management at the district and commune levels in the past. Through consulting international experience, it shows that the ratio of environmental management staff per 1 million people in Vietnam is much lower than in other countries in the region and in the world. Therefore, the Government is requested to report on solutions to overcome this situation.

It is worth noting that although the budget for environmental protection has increased, the Government report also admits that this is still one of the major challenges. So how does the Government assess the current budget for the environment compared to the actual needs, especially at a time when we are aiming for double-digit growth?

In addition to the state budget, the Government needs to report more clearly on solutions to mobilize other financial resources, especially the private sector, for investment in infrastructure and environmental technology.

The Government report also mentioned the application of economic instruments such as taxes and environmental protection fees. However, the implementation of these instruments has not been effective. It is requested that the Government report more clearly on the shortcomings in the application of economic instruments and propose solutions to ensure the goal of polluters paying in an effective, fair and transparent manner.

National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Quang Huan (Ho Chi Minh City):
Clear roadmap to net zero emissions by 2050

Regarding the implementation of policies and laws, the Government's report focused on evaluating documents implementing the Law on Environmental Protection 2020. However, the outline of the Monitoring Delegation mentioned other legal documents in this work.

National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Quang Huan (Ho Chi Minh City) speaks

Specifically, the assessment of the implementation of the Prime Minister's Decisions in 2022 such as: Decision No. 876/QD-TTg approving the Action Program on green energy conversion, reducing carbon and methane emissions in the transport sector; Decision No. 888/QD-TTg approving the Project on tasks and solutions to implement the results of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Decision No. 896/QD-TTg approving the National Strategy on Climate Change for the period up to 2050. These are 3 very important Decisions, focusing strongly on environmental protection, however, the Government's Report has not mentioned them.

Regarding measures to implement Decision No. 888/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, we have not yet issued a roadmap for reducing emissions in economic sectors and occupations. Therefore, the Government needs to issue a roadmap to reduce net emissions to "0" by 2050, specifically how much the transport sector must reduce, how much the agriculture and energy sectors must reduce, from which specific plans can be made for each sector and each locality.

At the same time, the Government has not yet clarified the concepts of anti-fine dust and greenhouse gas emission reduction. These two concepts are very important. If not clearly explained, it will easily lead to confusion and inappropriate action measures.

I also agree with the Government's view that there needs to be unity in perception and action, spending on the environment means spending on development investment, implementing environmental economicization.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/viec-thuc-hien-chinh-sach-phap-luat-ve-bao-ve-moi-truong-kinh-te-hoa-moi-truong-thuc-day-mo-hinh-kinh-te-tuan-hoan-cong-nghiep-tai-che-10387139.html