Vietnam in the fight against climate change

Vietnam has shown itself to be a responsible member of the international community in the fight against climate change.

Constitution 2013 contains a number of contents demonstrating the State's responsibility in combating climate change. Everyone has the right to live in a clean environment and has the obligation to protect the environment" (Article 43 Constitution 2013); “The State has an environmental protection policy… proactively preventing and combating natural disasters and responding to climate change. The State encourages all activities to protect the environment, develop and use new energy and renewable energy” (Article 63 Constitution year 2013).

Several laws contain state policies on climate change, including: Investment Law 2020 has stipulated: production of new energy, clean energy, renewable energy; energy-saving products are in the group of investment incentive industries. In addition, forest planting and protection are also in the group of investment incentive industries (points b, e, clause 1, Article 16). Investment Law year 2020).

At the COP26 Climate Change Conference in the UK (November 2023), Vietnam pledged to abandon coal-fired power generation and stop building new coal-fired power plants.

Faced with the dangers caused by climate change, the State needs to strongly promote the improvement of policies and laws, and at the same time have solutions to combat climate change. Specifically:

(1) Strongly promote the production of new energy, clean energy, renewable energy; energy-saving products to replace fossil energy. To do this, there need to be specific mechanisms and solutions, such as: high incentives, low-interest loans, technical and technological support, human resource training, support for product promotion and consumption, etc.

(2) The State needs to accelerate the research and application of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology - a potential technology to help reduce CO2 emissions. In Vietnam, CCS technology has received great attention from policy makers in recent years. Especially after Vietnam participated in the "Global Declaration on Transition from Coal to Clean Electricity" at the 2021 Climate Change Conference (COP26). The State develops and promulgates policies and laws to support the implementation of CCS projects; joint ventures, partnerships, and technology transfer of carbon capture and storage.

(3) It is necessary to realize that decarbonization is creating a new market in the world through the development of hydrogen and energy storage technology, carbon dioxide capture and storage technology; development of new energy products, clean energy, renewable energy; energy-saving products. It is estimated that the size of this market in Japan, the US and Europe alone reaches 8,500 trillion yen7. Decarbonization not only helps combat climate change but can also promote economic development at a higher level through the development of new energy products, clean energy, renewable energy; energy-saving products. This is also something that the State needs to pay attention to in formulating economic development policies.

(4) Forests play an important role in carbon absorption. According to scientists, plants and oceans are capable of absorbing half of CO2. Paying attention to afforestation and forest protection is never out of date and is suitable for the current difficult economic conditions of our country. This is the least expensive solution, and at the same time, brings many other benefits besides the effect of CO2 reduction: forests increase people's income, forests prevent landslides... The State should have more effective and efficient mechanisms and solutions in the field of forest protection and afforestation. For acts that damage forests, they need to be promptly prevented, detected and strictly handled.