Vietnam - Canada share experiences in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Green development, energy transition, and emission reduction have become inevitable and irreversible trends globally. The Vietnamese Government is making great efforts to both develop the economy and ensure the implementation of commitments and responsible contributions to climate change with the international community. Vietnam's National Strategy on Climate Change to 2050 identifies strong greenhouse gas emission reduction measures with specific goals and roadmaps to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

As a comprehensive partner, Canada is committed to accompanying and supporting Vietnam in its transition to a circular economy, as well as being ready to share knowledge and experience on climate change, energy, renewables and carbon management, thereby further deepening the bilateral relationship.

Illustration photo. Source Internet

According to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh, Vietnam is updating its 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) with an unconditional emission reduction target of up to 15.8% by 2030 and a conditional target of up to 43.5% compared to the business-as-usual scenario. These are all very ambitious but also challenging goals, requiring huge financial and technological resources. Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh emphasized: To realize these goals, Vietnam has urgently taken action across the entire political, economic and social system. Accordingly, Vietnam has adjusted and issued the National Power Development Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, setting the goal of successfully implementing a fair energy transition associated with production modernization, building a smart grid, and advanced power system management, in line with the world's green transition, emission reduction, and science and technology development trends. By 2050, the proportion of renewable energy will reach 67.5-71.5% of electricity production . At the same time, Vietnam has strongly promoted the application of solutions on management, technology, equipment, and techniques for economical and efficient use of energy to save input energy costs, reduce production costs, increase business efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions... Along with that, ministries, branches, and localities in Vietnam have been researching, developing, exploiting and using new energy sources, renewable energy, clean energy such as solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, green hydrogen,... At the workshop "Towards Net Zero: Exchange of Vietnam - Canada experiences" held at the end of March in Ho Chi Minh City, organized by the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment , Ms. Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada emphasized: The Canadian Government highly appreciates Vietnam's efforts in the journey towards net zero emissions.

Ms. Mary Ng - Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada speaking at the workshop (Photo: Nguyen Thanh)

In the coming time, both countries aim to promote connectivity between relevant agencies and enterprises, enhance common interests in greenhouse gas emissions management, carbon markets and technological innovations such as carbon capture and utilization, signaling a promising direction for bilateral cooperation. In addition, all economic sectors have begun to comprehensively apply solutions to manage, exploit, and use resources economically and efficiently, and raw materials and fuels for production activities, minimize waste to the environment, and maximize opportunities to apply circular economic models and sharing economies... Fifth, Vietnam announced the " Political Declaration on Establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership" (JETP) at the end of 2022 with the Group of International Partners... The leader of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also said that the foundation of the green transition process, including energy conversion, eliminating the use of coal, fossil fuels, and developing renewable energy in Vietnam, cannot become a reality without widespread cooperation between partners, countries in the region and globally. Therefore, Vietnam wishes to continue to cooperate more deeply with Canada in efforts to transition to energy, eliminate fossil fuels, raise renewable energy targets and enhance the adaptability and resilience of the entire society and economy; ensuring an effective green transition that is most beneficial to the people and all organizations, partners and participating countries./.

Bich Huong