Vehicles on the Hoàng Hoa Thám overpass in Tân Bình District towards the centre of HCM City. Vehicle emissions standards are expected to help improve urban air quality. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

HÀ NỘI — A roadmap for applying national technical regulations on car emissions for road traffic has been approved by Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà.

The Deputy PM’s Decision No. 43 specifies the plans for applying national technical regulations on emissions from cars (with spark ignition and compression ignition engines) running on roads within Việt Nam.

The decision is applicable to organisations and individuals involved in car management, inspection and use.

The decision specifies five emission levels.

Cars manufactured before 1999 apply level one, equivalent to Euro 1 standard, from March 1 next year.

Cars manufactured from 1999 to the end of 2016 apply level two, equivalent to Euro 2 standard, also from March 1 next year.

Cars manufactured from 2017 to the end of 2021 apply level three, equivalent to Euro 3 standard, from the same date.

For cars manufactured from 2017 to the end of 2021 operating in Hà Nội and HCM City, level four, equivalent to Euro 4 standard, will apply from January 1, 2027.

Cars manufactured from 2022 apply level four, equivalent to Euro 4 standard, from March 1 next year; and level five, equivalent to Euro 5 standard from January 1, 2032.

For cars manufactured from 2022 operating in Hà Nội and HCM City, level five will apply from January 1, 2028.

From January 1, 2029, cars operating in Hà Nội and HCM City must meet emission regulations of level two or higher.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is responsible for guiding the implementation of the roadmap.

Based on practical conditions, it will continue to study and develop higher emission standard regulations to submit to the PM for announcing subsequent plans.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) is responsible for researching and reviewing national technical regulations on fuels to amend and supplement them in accordance with the roadmap for applying the emission levels in the decision.

The MST is also tasked with reviewing regulations for accrediting and designating organisations for emissions inspection and calibration devices according to metrology laws, to amend and supplement in alignment with the plans.

The decision specifies that local people's committees coordinate with the MST to manage, inspect and supervise fuel quality circulating in the market.

Based on socio-economic conditions and environmental protection requirements, localities may stipulate stricter emission level application roadmaps in strict protection zones and emission-restricted areas than those specified in the decision.

The plans set a clear schedule for introducing progressively stricter vehicle emissions standards across Việt Nam, with earlier and more rigorous adoption for Hà Nội and HCM City to improve urban air quality.

Deputy PM’s requests

Deputy PM Trần Hồng Hà has asked to review the draft decision regulating the roadmap for applying national technical standards on emissions for motorcycles and motorbikes.

The policy was proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) in the context that Việt Nam currently only has voluntary motorcycle emission limits without legally binding standards.

Traffic emissions are among the sources of air pollution affecting public health, with over 74.3 million motorcycles and 6.3 million cars nationwide by the end of 2023.

According to the latest proposal, motorcycles in Hà Nội and HCM City must undergo emission inspections from July 2027.

Emission inspections for motorcycles in other large cities like Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ and Huế will be later, starting from July 2028.

To ensure feasibility in implementation, the Deputy PM requested the MAE to lead and coordinate with ministries, sectors and the people's committees of Hà Nội and HCM City to thoroughly review the draft.

Specifically, related units needed to clarify issuing a roadmap for applying standards when there is no national technical standard yet for motorcycle emissions, and have solutions to organise inspections and certify vehicles meeting emission standards.

Additionally, Deputy PM Hà required clarification of the policy's impact on citizens and businesses, especially in Hà Nội and HCM City, with a report due before December 15.

Previously, in a policy impact report, the MAE stated that setting a roadmap for applying motorcycle emission standards would help improve air quality, indirectly reducing healthcare costs and economic losses from pollution-related diseases.

The policy would also serve as a basis for building low-emission zones and laying the foundation for a 'recovery – recycling old vehicles' mechanism towards circular economy development.

But the MAE noted that applying emission regulations would also incur costs for the people. Especially, low-income groups using non-compliant old motorcycles – before 2008 – might be forced to repair or replace their vehicles.

Furthermore, the lack of a proper system to recover and handle old vehicles might cause pollution if they are not disposed of appropriately. — VNS