Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested and prosecuted a woman accused of illegally dumping more than 257 tons of solid construction waste, marking a significant environmental crime case in Vietnam’s largest city.

Plastic quietly piles up in Vietnam’s cities, a relentless tide of thin shopping bags, foam food containers and disposable cups that clogs kitchens, alleyways and landfills.

A substantial share of vehicles currently in use, especially motorcycles in use for years without routine checks or upkeep, are aging fleets that rank among the biggest emitters.

Representatives of energy, coal – mineral, cement, and building materials enterprises said that the implementation of emission quota allocation must strike a balance between emission reduction targets and the maintenance of growth momentum.

Vietnamese inventor Tran Van Truong creates automated waste-sorting system to reclaim resources, reduce landfill waste, and revive polluted dump sites.

In a move to reduce air pollution and promote green mobility, Hanoi has approved a plan to deploy 5,000 public electric bicycles, alongside restrictions on petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles in the city’s central area.

In recent weeks, “air pollution” has become a familiar phrase and a hot topic of public debate - not only in Hanoi but across Vietnam.

Do Hong Trinh, born in 1968, has been identified as the mastermind behind a major case of illegal waste dumping and burial in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hanoi's air quality index reached 174 by 2 PM, placing the city among the 10 most polluted in the world today.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed relevant ministries and localities to urgently implement air quality management projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to address rising pollution levels.

After days cloaked in thick smog, Hanoi’s air has shown signs of recovery, with AQI levels dropping sharply.

On the morning of December 2, Hanoi was enveloped in a dense, white haze as the air quality index (AQI) soared to 283 - categorized as “very unhealthy” and the highest recorded nationwide for the day.

The project is jointly financed by the WB with up to 250 million USD and a 10-million-USD non-refundable grant from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), along with counterpart funding from the Vietnamese Government.

The biggest bottleneck in controlling car emissions in Vietnam does not lie in the vehicle standards but in the type of fuel. A car that meets the Euro 5 standard, but uses gasoline that meets only Euro 3 will not have clean exhaust emissions.

From late November to early December, Hanoi and neighboring provinces are forecasted to endure a severe air pollution episode, triggered by atmospheric inversion, low wind conditions, and persistent fog.

A draft resolution on policies to support the shift toward clean-energy road transportation in Hanoi includes a key proposal: providing up to 5 million VND (approximately $200) to individuals switching to electric motorbikes.

Vietnam’s forests are among the most biodiverse in the world, yet their rich wildlife has long been under threat from habitat loss, degradation and unsustainable hunting through snaring.

Vietnam’s new action plan highlights the need for Hanoi and HCMC to help shippers switch to green energy.

A new regulation that requires cars in Hanoi and HCM City to meet the Euro 4 emission standard or higher will largely affect older car models, forcing owners to upgrade or replace them.

Starting June 1, 2026, all unleaded gasoline sold in Vietnam must be blended into E10 biofuel for use in gasoline engines nationwide. Meanwhile, E5 fuel will remain available until December 31, 2030.