Industry, trade sector responds to climate change

Tang The Hung, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department

On December 14, 2022, the MoIT approved the sector’s action plan on climate change response and green growth to 2030, with a vision to 2050, which is an important first step towards the net zero emissions to which Vietnam has committed.

Specifically, national energy, industrial and trade infrastructure works will be subject to review to improve their resilience to the impacts of natural disasters and climate extremes.

The action plan has identified goals, tasks and solutions to develop clean and renewable energy, promote energy efficiency, control greenhouse emissions to reduce carbon footprints, and boost green growth in the energy and industrial sectors under the management of the MoIT.

Tang The Hung, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department, said renewable energy is expected to supply 15-20 percent of Vietnam’s total primary energy supply by 2030 and 25-30 percent by 2045. Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production are to be maintained at about 42 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050. “The sector will also promote efficient use of natural resources and energy to improve growth quality and competitive advantages, and minimize negative impacts on the environment,” said Hung.

The response to global climate change requires efforts of all countries

Annie Wallace, Director of United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Office of Climate Change, Energy and Environment in Vietnam, which helped develop the action plan, praised its approval as an outstanding achievement. USAID helped research international experience and national policies on climate change and green growth, and propose solutions.

Annie Wallace, Director of the Office of Climate Change, Energy and Environment, USAID Vietnam

According to the department’s 2025 targets, sustainable production and consumption models in industry and trade will be promoted and “greenized”, helping reduce the use of textile raw materials, plastics, chemicals and other polluting industrial matter by five to eight percent. The use of fuel-saving, environmentally friendly products instead of plastic products has increased, contributing to the development of circular economy models.

The action plan will also review and evaluate trade and industry mechanisms and policies in the international economic integration context; update, adjust, and perfect legal policies to meet state management requirements on climate change and international practices.

USAID will continue to work with the MoIT to implement the action plan through clean energy and energy efficiency projects; deploy strategic plans to accelerate the production and transmission of clean energy to meet demand during the transformation process from coal to renewable energy and natural gas.