Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)Speaking at the recent Green Economy Forum & Exhibition,Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “We need global action – at all levels and withinthis decade – for a world that is climate-neutral, nature-positive andresilient.
“We need to pick up the pace. Time is running out. Today is agreat opportunity for direct engagement among EU and Vietnamese stakeholders onthe green transition agenda,” he said.
The EU is aware of the need for global change as no one countrycan advance a sustainability agenda on its own, he said.
The EU and Vietnam are already key partners with the latteremerging as one of the former’s main partners in Southeast Asia, he said.
Both sides are working together very closely on major issues suchas the circular economy and plastics, and forests and deforestation through thevoluntary partnership agreement and others, he said.
“We also face common challenges, but these challenges should helpus forge an even closer relationship in the years to come.”
“The world faces a triple crisis – climate change, biodiversityloss and pollution – and each of them reinforces the others, and weneed to tackle them together,” hesaid.
“The world is now burning through its natural resources at anunsustainable rate. We take, we use, we throw away. We need a differentapproach, one that keeps resources in the economy for much longer, and makeswaste a thing of the past.”
Actions
To deal with the crisis, in 2019 the EU developed the EuropeanGreen Deal to address these issues, including policies and laws to cut pollutionand preserve bio-diversity.
Most of its elements are now in place.
The EU now has a Climate Law, which mandates a 55% reduction inemissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by the middle of the century.
The EU has also proposed an economic model called circular economywhich seeks to reduce the consumption footprint and double the rate at whichresources are reused before the end of this decade.
Alain Cany, Chairman of the European Chambers of Commerce Vietnam(EuroCham Vietnam), said: “Vietnam can achieve a robust green transition onlythrough a whole-of-society transformation that reimagines how people live andhow economic development is approached.”
He said that to accomplish this, the European and Vietnamesegovernments, the private sector and the public sector should work together.
“Without doing this completely and immediately, we will mostcertainly fail.”
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh saidclimate change is a global issue requiring international cooperation to make asignificant impact since “no country can fix the problem on its own”.
“All solutions to global warming require globalcooperation, and people must be a central pillar of any successfulclimate change strategy.”
Vietnam as one of the countries most affected by climatechange has approved a green developmentstrategy to combat climate change. It is alsocommitted to cutting net emissions down to zero by 2050.
It has also developed a master plan to switch from fossilfuels to renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in allfields, he said.
He hoped the EU and its financial institutions would continue tosupport Vietnam’s development of advanced technology, green capital and humanresource training.
Organised by EuroCham Vietnam, the Green Economy Forum &Exhibition held from November 28 to 30 was attended by 2,800 delegates.
There were over 30 conferences and panel discussions attended by150 experts from more than 20 green sectors.
The topics discussed included circular economy, green tourism,renewable energy, smart cities, sustainable agriculture, and watertreatment.
There was also an expo featuring 150 multinationals, topVietnamese companies, start-ups, and SMEs that showcased the latest greensolutions and innovations./.
VNA
