HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam had set itself ambitious climate targets to contribute to the global Paris Climate Agreement it ratified in 2016.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Lê Công Thành made the statement on Tuesday at a workshop themed the “Creation of an Overarching Framework for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) in Việt Nam.”

“The NAMA project is vital for us to formulate these targets and respective policies and prepare for their implementation. Continued support has enabled us to strengthen Việt Nam’s position in international climate policy,” said Thành.

The project’s most significant achievements involved its support for the development of Việt Nam’s contribution to international climate change efforts in the form of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, the deputy minister said.

In addition, Việt Nam’s negotiating teams at international climate conferences had received extensive technical training and assistance, he added.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) had achieved important milestones in climate policy over the last years,” said Jörg Rüger, First Secretary for the Environment at the German Embassy.

“We are very glad that the Vietnamese-German NAMA project could substantially support MONRE in these achievements. Germany looks forward to continue the fruitful co-operation with Việt Nam, as two ambitious partners, united in the common goal to stop climate change as agreed in the Paris Agreement,” he said.

Another crucial outcome of the NAMA project was the ability to track the progress that had been made.

“This tool empowered Việt Nam to systematically track progress on their national climate change targets and policies. It also enabled an effective inter-ministerial co-ordination,” said Anna Pia Schreyögg, chief technical advisor of the NAMA project.    

Another major project achievement was the development of two concrete climate actions that aim at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The first NAMAs targeted the development of a climate-friendly bus infrastructure for big cities.

The second focused on the application of energy efficiency measures and solar power in the textile industry.

Together, these two climate actions have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

They also have the potential to increase competitiveness, create jobs, ensure energy security and resource efficiency, and reduce environmental pollution in the country.

In the near future, Germany’s Development Co-operation Agency (GIZ) will launch “Support to Việt Nam for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement” project (SIPA).

Under the SIPA project, GIZ will continue its support for MONRE in formulating and implementing an ambitious climate policy.

NAMA was implemented by MONRE and GIZ with non-refundable aid of 4.6 million euros (US$5.2 million) from 2014-2018. – VNS