At the workshop, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha mentioned the important achievements of COP26, most notably the Glasgow Climate Agreement with the participation of nearly 200 countries committed to strongly promoting climate change action to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and more details on Vietnam's commitments announced at COP26 by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and subsequent actions to help Vietnam fulfill those commitments successfully.

Vietnam's commitments at COP26

COP26 has marked a breakthrough in the world's development model, from fossil energy-based to low-emission development, toward zero-net emissions.

According to Minister Tran Hong Ha, the participation of Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation has contributed to the success of COP26.

Many contents and commitments made by the Prime Minister of Vietnam at the COP26 Climate Change Summit are highly appreciated by the international community, as Vietnam's commitments are completely in line with the common trend of humanity to choose a development model that does not harm today's and future generations.

Mr. Pham Van Tan, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change and Deputy Head of Vietnam's negotiating committee on climate change, said, along with the Katowice Climate Agreement Package approved at COP24 in 2018, the Agreement Package the Glasgow Climate Agreement was adopted at COP26, and the Code of Conduct guiding the implementation of the Paris Agreement has been basically finalized. The commitments open up many opportunities for cooperation on low-emission growth, promoting circular economy development, and climate change adaptation.

“Vietnam is on the right track of the global development trend along with developed countries with high economic and technological potential. The commitment to bring net emissions to "zero" and join the commitment to reduce Methane emissions has sent a strong signal to the international community, unlocking global financial resources for low-emissions development. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to develop," said Mr. Pham Van Tan.

"The revised Law on Environmental Protection in 2020 (Chapter to respond to climate change) and the Draft Decree on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the ozone layer have been built in the direction of approaching the latest regulations in climate change negotiation, completely consistent with the latest regulations just approved at COP26. These will be an important legal basis for mobilizing the whole society to respond to climate change,” added Mr. Tan.

Appreciating Vietnam's commitment, British Ambassador Gareth Ward said, "Vietnam's announcement of its net-zero emissions target by 2050 has impressively demonstrated its leadership on the climate, and at the same time sent an important message to the international community about the sustainable development of Vietnam's economy."

Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Chief Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Vietnam, also emphasized: “We congratulate Vietnam for always being a pioneer in multilateral cooperation, taking the lead in people-centered policy, inclusive growth and sustainable development both in the region and globally. We especially commend Vietnam's commitment to raising its ambitions and joining global efforts to combat climate change."

Vietnam's subsequent actions

Besides a strong commitment at COP26, according to Minister Tran Hong Ha, Vietnam has prepared a roadmap for implementation, which includes putting contents to respond to climate change and commitments to implementing the Paris Agreement into the Law on Environmental Protection in 2020, the Decree on mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of the ozone layer; developing regulations on implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation to meet transparency requirements. “This is an important legal basis for mobilizing the entire population to respond to climate change,” Minister Hong Ha emphasized.

However, Mr. Pham Van Tan said, Vietnam is facing a number of immediate challenges in mobilizing and maintaining the participation of the entire political system, with a firm determination to implement the long-term transformation roadmap. Besides, domestic resources are still weak and cannot meet advanced production technologies and processes. Meanwhile, it is difficult for Vietnam to access foreign resources due to obstacles in administrative mechanisms and procedures.

British Ambassador Gareth Ward shared that, in the future, the UK and development partners are committed to promoting and supporting Vietnam in realizing new goals through increasing proposals for financial and technical assistance. They want to help Vietnam find the right combination of increased public investment, mobilizing ODA and concessional loans to reduce costs for the country and put in place appropriate management measures, helping Vietnam become an attractive destination for green investments in the next 20 years.

Ms. Caitlin Wiesen emphasized that it is time to readjust policies, legal frameworks, strategies, plans and investments to achieve these goals. Zero net carbon emissions by 2050 is an ambitious target that can only be achieved with strong Government leadership. UNDP is committed to working closely with Government, development partners, business, scientists, women, youth and local communities, to pursue a whole-of-government and society-wide approach to realize these new ambitions. This will be complemented by simplifying regulations to allow the business sector to fully contribute to the people-centered green economic recovery.

Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Vietnam Giorgio Aliberti also shared that, to implement the results of the COP26, Vietnam needs to continue to raise the awareness and determination of all levels, sectors, localities, organizations and individuals to be consistent with the transition process. In addition, Vietnam should soon issue a decree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the ozone layer, develop a carbon market development project; and follow the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement to complete the legal basis for emissions reduction in Vietnam.