Vietnam needs to implement stricter environmental regulations

That is the recommendation made by Mr. Nakajima Takeo - Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Vietnam at the Workshop "Vietnam - Japan cooperation towards green growth" held on September 12 in Hanoi .

Towards green growth

According to Mr. Nakajima Takeo, green growth is a trend that fits the context of new generation cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.

“In the 1970s, Japan also experienced high growth and faced serious pollution problems. With its experience, Japan can share its experience to help Vietnam move towards sustainable growth in the future,” said Mr. Takeo.

Overall perspective of the high-tech solid waste treatment plant to generate energy in Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province. The total investment is about 58 million USD, of which the Japanese Ministry of Environment finances 20 billion yen (equivalent to 18 million USD).

According to the JETRO Chief Representative, focusing on green development is very important to solve urgent problems in Vietnam. Vietnam's greenhouse gas (GHG) and CO2 emissions have increased over the past 20 years. And currently, Vietnam's GHG and CO2 share has reached 15% in ASEAN. 20 years ago, this figure was only 10%. Every year, Vietnam emits more GHG and CO2 than other countries.

Mr. Nakajima Takeo said that Japan can help Vietnam solve these problems, because our businesses have products and services on saving and using energy efficiently, such as LED lights, building management, air conditioners, high-tech agriculture ... Or Japanese businesses in the field of environmental protection are also very strong, such as Marubeni in the field of wastewater treatment, Toyota Tsusho and Hhukunaga Engineering in the field of waste treatment, or Nagase in the greenhouse gas emission reporting system.

Currently, Japanese enterprises in Vietnam are implementing projects to reduce CO2 emissions, contributing to green growth development in Vietnam through activities such as building solar power systems, digital transformation in agriculture to serve green growth...

Need attractive policies

Mr. Nakajima Takeo - Chief Representative of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Vietnam. (Photo: Ministry of Planning & Investment)

The Chief Representative of JETRO in Vietnam also assessed that there is still much room for cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in the field of green growth, but Vietnam needs to have attractive policies to attract investment capital for green growth.

"Businesses are still watching and waiting for opportunities from Vietnam's green growth policies so they can confidently invest in these fields," said Mr. Nakajima Takeo.

To attract investment from foreign enterprises in general and Japanese enterprises in particular in areas that address urgent issues in Vietnam such as water quality, air pollution, waste management, recycling, energy efficiency and carbon emissions, JETRO recommends that the Vietnamese Government implement stricter environmental regulations, expand environmental responsibilities of manufacturers and accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kubo Yoshimoto - Deputy Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Vietnam - said: JICA Vietnam is supporting the promotion of green growth in Vietnam in 4 areas: Agriculture, climate change, disaster prevention, renewable energy. JICA will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to enhance Vietnam's ability to reduce carbon emissions, focusing on water resource management; cooperate with agricultural companies in improving living conditions and deploying modern technology to minimize the impact of climate change and natural disasters.

As of August 2023, Japan is investing in 5,168 projects in Vietnam with a total registered investment capital of more than 71 billion USD. Japan currently ranks third among 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

Time