VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has initially outlined five major goals to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Viet Nam has initially outlined five major goals to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. — Photo vnreview.vn

The major goals set under the draft Action Plan on Paris Agreement on Climate Change Implementation are waiting for Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s approval.

The first goal was to cut 8 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, following the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), said Pham Van Tan, deputy head of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change Department at the high-level meeting between Viet Nam’s National Committee on Climate Change and international partners, held in Ha Noi yesterday, Oct 25.

Tan said the second goal was fulfilling commitments on climate change adaptation under the INDC. Additionally, preparing human resources, technologies, and funds to shift the national economy towards a low-carbon economy was to be the third goal.

The fourth goal was running a system of measurement, reporting and verification to assess mitigating and adapting activities of climate change’s impacts. The last goal would be perfecting policies and mechanisms to accelerate climate-change coping activities, he said.

To fully achieve these goals, more financial support from international organisations was really needed, he said.

Currently, the Japan International Co-operation Agency committed to fund about JPY 10 billion (US$95.7 million), the World Bank $210 million and the French Development Agency (AFD) $110 million for Viet Nam in 2017.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said the event offered a chance for participants, including policy-makers, experts and donors, to identify shortcomings in current policies related to climate change.

Fixing the shortcomings would assist Viet Nam in effectively implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in the coming time, he said.

Dung said the frequency of storms, droughts and floods in Viet Nam had risen due to climate change, causing serious damage for the economy in recent years. For example, the economic growth rate of the first six months of this year only reached 5.52 per cent, whereas the rate was 6.32 per cent over the same period last year.

An increasing number of heavy storms have been recorded, the direction of storms became more unpredictable than before, and extreme weather appeared with higher frequency, he said.

Therefore, he hoped international organisations would continue collaborating with Viet Nam in the fight against climate change, he said.

Partners’ commitments

Pratibha Mehta, United Nations Resident Co-ordinator said Viet Nam had been very pro-active in developing its Paris Agreement Implementation Plan. It demonstrated the country was getting ready for the climate challenge.

“This challenge is big and increasing, and major efforts are needed,” she said, adding that the UN stood ready to support Viet Nam.

Climate change research is extremely essential, thus, the Government should provide additional funding for the work, perhaps in the form of competitive grants on priority topics.

She also advised Viet Nam to review the long-term effects of the use of coal for electricity generation and in industry, and catch up with the global boom in renewable energy.

A representative of the German Embassy in Viet Nam said Germany had been one of the partners of Viet Nam in preparation of Paris Agreement’s INDC and would continue supporting Viet Nam in implementing it.

Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Viet Nam said there were many complex issues related to climate change that Viet Nam was facing. “And we are here to support you,” he said.

At the Paris climate conference (COP21) last year, 191 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. As of October 25, 85 parties have ratified it which is due to enter into force in 2020.

VNS