Volunteers help collect and sort out plastic waste on the shore of Côn Đảo National Park. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will ramp up action to control and reduce plastic waste, according to an implementation plan on the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) and participation in international forums on the issue recently approved by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Lê Công Thành.

The document aims to enhance the role of the NPAP coordinator to effectively carry out the memorandum of understanding between the Vietnamese government and the World Economic Forum (WEF), and between the global forum and the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE).

The plan is also expected to support and amplify the operational effectiveness of the technical groups established as part of the NPAP based on the six key aspects, which are innovation, finance, policy, gender equality and inclusive development, communication and raising awareness. 

In alignment with plastic waste reduction through the circular economy approach, members of the partnership will work closely with ministries, sectors, international and non-governmental organisations, research institutes, as well as local and foreign companies in consulting seminars and side events of intergovernmental negotiation meetings. 

These cooperation and innovation efforts will contribute to a global treaty to end plastic pollution, which is expected to be finalised in 2024. 

The plan ensures Việt Nam’s responsibilities as a member country of the United Nations (UN) in addressing urgent environmental problems on a global scale, as well as the MONRE’s task execution relating to the plastic pollution global treaty as assigned by the government. 

Information on cooperation activities on this matter will also be published alongside awareness campaigns on plastic waste issues in alignment with the direction of the Party, Government and the State. 

According to the MONRE, Việt Nam’s plastic consumption per capita has been witnessing a rapid rise, from 3.8kg/year/person in 1990 to 41kg/year/person in 2015, and is currently standing at approximately 54kg/year/person. 

This increased plastic use has led to a surge in plastic waste, heightened risks of plastic pollution and an aggravated burden on the environmental management system.

At the annual WEF in Davos, Switzerland in 2019, a letter of intent on plastic waste management and circular economic development was signed by the Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and the WEF representative, which will provide assistance to Việt Nam in joining the Global Plastic Action Partnership. 

In 2021, a national project aiming to strengthen the management of plastic waste in Việt Nam was approved by the Prime Minister. A working group for the NPAP was established in November the same year. 

With the direction provided by the MONRE, and the coordination and technical support by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Việt Nam, the NPAP now counts nearly 200 member businesses in its network, which serves as a platform for knowledge and experience exchanges related to the global plastic pollution treaty, as well as possible innovation and investments to reduce plastic waste and pollution. 

In 2023, with data from members of the network and technical groups, a map of initiatives and solutions is being drafted and perfected. 

Of the 138 initiatives for plastic waste reduction carried out in Việt Nam or having components related to the country, 40 have finished their pilot stage. — VNS