Nearly 7 million sources of mobile emissions
Air pollution is an issue that has been warned of for more than a decade.But it was not until recent years, when fine dust covered the capital, when the air quality index continuously reached the bad and very bad thresholds, that this story really became a widespread concern of society.
Dr. Hoang Duong Tung - Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, former Deputy Director General of the General Department of Environment (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) frankly acknowledged: The air that people breathe every day has become one of the biggest threats to public health.
We are both victims and culprits of air pollution, Mr. Tung emphasized.This assessment is not only warning, but also raises core questions about policy responsibility in controlling emissions.
Hanoi currently has nearly 7 million sources of mobile emissions, mainly motorbikes.Every day, this amount of vehicle emits a large amount of toxic gas into the environment, directly reducing the quality of urban air.
The problem is not absolute numbers, but management. While many countries have applied a roadmap to eliminate used vehicles and strictly inspect emissions, in Hanoi, millions of used motorbikes are still in circulation indefinitely, almost without any technical constraints.
According to Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, air pollution in Hanoi is no longer a winter - counter-term story, but an inevitable result of an emission control system with many loopholes. The weather only exacerbates the already existing problem.
"If vehicle emissions are not tightened, talking about improving air quality is just a theory," Mr. Tung warned. This is a clear policy message: The transport sector cannot continue to be avoided, even though it is a sensitive area, directly affecting the lives of millions of people.
In addition to transportation, industrial and residential emissions also contribute significantly to the picture of air pollution. According to Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, many businesses consider environmental standards as a "side cost" - only meeting the minimum level to be licensed. Many industrial parks discharge waste at night, monitoring systems operate formally, while small-scale production facilities operate silently without control.
More worryingly, the lack of respect in inspection, examination and punishment, causing environmental violations to not be deterrent enough. When the cost of violations is lower than the cost of compliance, businesses will have difficulty motivating change.
On the other hand, people - even though they are direct victims of pollution - also contribute to creating environmental pressure through familiar behaviors: Spontaneous garbage burning, using beehive coal stoves, burning votive paper everywhere, maintaining the habit of using old and dilapidated vehicles.
Measuring urban management capacity
In that context, Dr. Hoang Duong Tung said that Hanoi does not lack solutions, and switching to green transportation is a decisive choice.
From July 1, 2026, Hanoi will limit gasoline-powered motorbikes in Ring Road 1 according to the time frame, and pilot the "low emission zone" in 9 central wards.
According to the roadmap, low-emission zones will expand to Ring Road 2 from 2028 and Ring Road 3 from 2030. In parallel, the city aims to switch all buses and taxis to green energy by 2035.
In addition, supporting solutions such as developing green space, renovating lakes and rivers in the inner city, and planting trees also play an important role. However, according to experts, these solutions only show their effectiveness when placed in an overall strategy for emission control.
According to Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, improving air quality is a process that requires the participation of the State, businesses and people. But the policy cannot wait until everyone is ready.
Each individual needs to change their behavior, but the government must be the one to lead with clear, transparent and steadfast decisions, Mr. Tung emphasized.
Reducing air pollution is not only an environmental problem, but a measure of urban management capacity. Hanoi is facing a clear choice: Either taking drastic action to switch to green transportation and control emissions, or continuing to accept living with an increasingly toxic atmosphere - the price to pay will be public health and the quality of life of the city itself.
