It is now more clearly aligned with the Power Development Plan VIII, Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contributions, and its climate change strategy, helping to focus Vietnam’s trajectory towards net-zero.

Ramla Khalidi, Resident representative in Vietnam United Nations Development Programme, source: UNDP

From our privileged position as a support agency to the JETP Secretariat, the UN Development Programme is committed to working with all actors to create an enabling environment for a successful and inclusive energy transition.

We took the words of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at COP26 to heart when he said, “We must work towards transitioning the development model towards a green, circular, sustainable, inclusive, and humanistic economy. All that we do must be centred around people, for they are the actors and drivers of sustainable development, to leave no-one behind.”

This language is echoed in the JETP’s political declaration, whose priority interventions call for, among other things: enhancing employment opportunities and creating green jobs; supporting workers through upskilling, reskilling, and vocational training; affordable energy access for all; realising multipurpose land use; and building a broad social consensus through regular consultation with media, non-governmental organisations, and other stakeholders.

In that regard, should the government and the International Partners Group (IPG) members agree, we would be happy to coordinate with other stakeholders to develop a just transition framework, through an inclusive and consultative process, based on experience from South Africa and Indonesia.

The proposed framework would not only help identify negative social, economic, and environmental impacts and implement actions to address them, but also identify new development opportunities to enable impacted people and vulnerable groups to benefit from new opportunities presented by the energy transition.

I would like to suggest four recommendations as priority next steps. First, it is necessary to build on strong ownership and leadership of the government, and great support from the IPG, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net-Zero, and all other stakeholders.

Let us work together to finalise the RMP as an ambitious and realistic roadmap for just energy transition, helping chart an inclusive path for Vietnam towards COP28 and beyond. I second the call by the IPG that when we have more time, we can carry out more detailed modelling to guide the revision and update the RMP.

Secondly, it is necessary to call for national and provincial governments to integrate JETP priorities into sectoral and provincial strategies and plans for effective implementation, given the ongoing annual plans for 2024-2025, and upcoming medium-term investment plan for 2026-2030.

Thirdly, swift policy reform are required based on RMP recommendations, starting with developing regulations on the three top priorities of offshore wind, energy transmission, and energy storage. In this, improved and swift approval procedures will be crucial both towards the implementation of the RMP as well as in creating better conditions for additional investments.

Fourth, we also must establish the needs and earmark funding to undertake necessary assessment and actions on all aspects of the transition.

Looking ahead, we are committed to maintaining active support to the secretariat, working groups, and the IPG on annual monitoring and evaluation efforts, as well as biennial review and communication on the JETP.