Climate change is complicated
Speaking at the "Workers' Forum for the Environment 2024" organized by Lao Dong Newspaper on December 12, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Quang said that climate change is taking place very strongly around the world, and has been affecting all aspects of economics, politics, diplomacy, and security.
"Every day, we hear news from newspapers, radio and television. I guarantee that at least one news is related to climate change. Recently, under the impact of climate change, extreme weather phenomena have appeared with increasing frequency. Flash floods, inundation in the North, drought and saltwater intrusion in the South... One of the causes of these phenomena is climate change" - Mr. Tuan Quang cited.
At the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Prime Minister pledged that with our own resources, together with the cooperation and support of the international community, especially developed countries, both in finance and technology transfer, we will strive to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
"Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 does not mean zero emissions, we still emit emissions because production and living activities still use energy.
But the amount of emissions is equal to the amount of emissions absorbed from forests or equivalent carbon emission offset measures" - Mr. Tuan Quang said.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change said that the Prime Minister has made it very clear that responding to climate change must be done on the principle of a global and all-people approach, meaning that the entire political system must participate from the Government, state management agencies and businesses, people and communities, including workers.
5 key solutions
After the COP 26 conference, the Prime Minister issued a project to implement this commitment, focusing on 5 main solutions.
First, we must convert energy, that is, convert the use of fossil energy such as oil, coal, and gas, to renewable energy and clean energy.
Second, we must use energy and resources economically. Circular economy is also a solution to use natural resources economically and effectively.
Third, we must develop reforestation and restore ecosystems, because forests and ecosystems absorb the carbon we emit.
The fourth is to use modern advanced technologies to recover carbon from industrial zones, factories and bury it in underground layers, coal seams or oil and gas mines that we have exploited. This is a very expensive technology, but with the development of technology, it will gradually become cheaper and we will do it.
And that important measure is carbon pricing, simply put, it is carbon tax and carbon market development. This has the effect of allowing businesses to invest, reduce emissions, we can sell, recover, get money back, reinvest and produce.
Results achieved
Mr. Quang said that to implement this project, recently the Government, ministries and businesses have been working very urgently to implement solutions and achieved many results.
The Government has issued many strategic policies and organized their implementation. Focusing on 5 solutions and strategic policies. For example, the national strategy on climate change, we see that the Government also approved the national power grid development plan for the period 2021, 2030, with a vision to 2050.
The goal is to move towards renewable energy as the main energy source and by 2050 the renewable energy ratio will reach about 67-71% of electricity output.
The Government has also issued other regulations to encourage business investment in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ministries and sectors have developed and implemented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Many localities have green transformation plans, many green industrial zones have been formed. Some localities have pioneered carbon credit exchange activities such as Ho Chi Minh City.
Accompanying the Government and ministries is the active participation of the business community. Of course, there is a huge contribution of workers and laborers.
Deploy multiple solutions
To achieve the goal of net zero emissions, Mr. Quang said it is necessary to continue to synchronously perfect policy mechanisms and legal documents to remove difficulties and obstacles, mobilize the participation of the whole society in implementing Vietnam's commitment to Net Zero, attract resources, encourage domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to respond to climate change and energy transition, encourage businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, and develop environmentally friendly production models.
According to World Bank statistics, to achieve the Net Zero target by 2050, Vietnam needs about 368 billion dollars. This is a very large number. Therefore, policy mechanisms to attract investment must be focused on creating resources.
For workers and laborers in enterprises and production facilities, we need to continue:
Firstly, actively participate in emulation movements, propose initiatives and technical innovations to improve techniques and machinery to ensure reduced energy consumption, less emissions, environmental pollutants, and saving raw materials and fuels in production and business.
Second, for workers, we must change our living habits, proactively carry out energy-saving activities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect our living environment today.
"I believe that with the participation of the entire political system, the State, people and businesses, our goal of achieving Net Zero will come true," Mr. Nguyen Tuan Quang emphasized.
