Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà (right) met with President for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) Alok Kumar Sharma on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà met with President for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) Alok Kumar Sharma on Monday, discussing priorities to implement the commitments made at COP26 and preparations for the next meeting.

Minister Hà said at the meeting that the COP26 was held with “great success” and triggered the world’s interest in climate change when we are still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many important decisions were made at the COP26, including commitments by countries to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and limit a planetary temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celcius threshold, eliminating fossil fuels, developing renewable energy and reducing methane emissions, among others,” he said.

The minister reaffirmed the important roles of the UK and COP26 President in the success of the conference. He said he highly appreciated the role of the COP26 President Sharma in leading the climate change negotiation process throughout 2020 and 2021 to lead to the success of COP26.

Sharma welcomed the significant progress that Việt Nam made at COP26, including approving the Glasgow Climate Pact, which keeps the goal of limiting global temperatures to 1.5C alive.

He stressed that the UK stands ready to support Việt Nam to deliver on commitments in the Glasgow Climate Pact, including an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and seizing the opportunities from the transition to a clean energy economy.

Sharing with Sharma about Việt Nam’s implementation of the commitments, Hà said that immediately after the conference, the country established a National Steering Committee to implement its commitments at COP26.

The committee, led by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính set out key groups of tasks to be deployed such areas as policy reform, energy and industrial transformation, infrastructure construction, agriculture, forestry and land use, natural resources and environment, adaptation to climate change, capacity building, among others.

Regarding legal framework, Minister Hà said Việt Nam has incorporated the implementation of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) into Law on Environmental Protection in 2020. The government has also issued a Decree on mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of ozone layer and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued a Circular on the response to climate change and is developing an implementation plan to reduce methane emissions.

It is also finalising the National Strategy on Climate Change including the target to achieve net zero emission by 2050.

Regarding specific activities to adapt to climate change, Minister Hà said Việt Nam has had a number of activities including step by step shift to clean energy sources in accordance with the draft Power Master Plan VIII, forest protection, identifying solutions to reduce methane and recycle waste to protect the environment, among many others, he said.

The minister added that Việt Nam has been proactive in implementing its commitments and would need international aids for technology and finance to realise its goals. — VNS