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

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has initially outlined five major goals to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The major goals set under the draft Action Plan on Paris Agreement on Climate Change Implementation are waiting for Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’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 Phạm Văn Tấn, deputy head of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change Department at the high-level meeting between Việt Nam’s National Committee on Climate Change and international partners, held in Hà Nội yesterday.

Tấn 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 Việt Nam in 2017.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng 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 Việt Nam in effectively implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in the coming time, he said.

Dũng said the frequency of storms, droughts and floods in Việt 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 Việt Nam in the fight against climate change, he said.

Partners’ commitments

Pratibha Mehta, United Nations Resident Co-ordinator said Việt 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 Việt 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 Việt 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 Việt Nam said Germany had been one of the partners of Việt Nam in preparation of Paris Agreement’s INDC and would continue supporting Việt Nam in implementing it.

Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Việt Nam said there were many complex issues related to climate change that Việt 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