Dr. Michael Parsons, policy adviser of Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Photo: Anh Kiet

The need for adjustment to the SP-RCC comes as Vietnam has ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change and the implementation plan for this agreement, and has become a middle-income country, the policy adviser explained.  

Dr. Michael Parsons also cited report of the Climate Change Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) as saying that Vietnam's SP-RCC policy framework in 2016, 2017 and 2018 achieved good results.

The policy framework includes legal documents which have been effectively implemented in management and coordination of climate change activities throughout the country. This has affirmed the desire of the Vietnamese government to improve the role and influence of policies related to climate change, Parsons said.

At the workshop, development partner representatives from the World Bank (WB), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also appreciated results of the Vietnamese government’s SP-RCC policy framework in three years.

They all agreed with the proposal to integrate the SP-RCC with the Paris Agreement compliance in the country and said that this is a right direction for Vietnam to continue to make real efforts in the period after 2020.

The Vietnamese government has shown its effort and desire to implement its commitment to development partners on climate change, a WB representative highlighted, adding that the SP-RCC needs to be closely associated with the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the nationally determined contributions of Vietnam.

He affirmed that the WB will keep supporting Vietnam to carry out the SP-RCC, and asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and relevant sectors to clarify the responsibility of ministries, sectors, and localities in implementing the national strategies on climate change and green growth.

Appreciating the active support of development partners in carrying out the SP-RCC, the MONRE’s Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh said that the SP-RCC has made important contributions to Vietnam's national target program in coping with climate change.

Thanh pointed out the need to learn from the SP-RCC’s execution experiences and further involve development partners, ministries, sectors, and localities.

The deputy minister promised that the MONRE will report to the Vietnamese government on policy framework adjustment for the SP-RCC and related contents in the time ahead. Hanoitimes

Anh Kiet