Fulfil promises: Key to address climate issues

Fulfilling commitments is key to restoring international confidence and breaking the impasse in climate change negotiations. 

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks in the First Part of the High-level Segment at COP28 held in Dubai on Dec 2. Photos: VGP

This is delivered by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the National Statement Plenary in the First Part of the High-level Segment at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held today [December 2] in Dubai, UAE.

Chinh argued that the gap between commitments and actions remains wide in addition to conflicts, competitiveness, and diseases which eat up part of resources for climate change.

The Prime Minister took an example of failing to meet climate finance commitments set in 2009 which sought to raise US$100 billion annually for developing countries by 2020. The $100-billion pledge made in Copenhagen by developed nations, which has not been fulfilled anyhow, is set to expire in 2025.

“We still haven’t reached our $100 billion annual target for combating climate change, even after 14 years,” said the Vietnamese Prime Minister.

The impact of climate change and pandemics over the past years once again proves they are global issues of common concern affecting every corner around the globe.

For that reason, each country needs to be responsible for tapping its internal strengths and mobilizing international support to ensure that no one is left behind.

In the common drive, developed countries need to extend support to developing and least developed countries in terms of preferential capital, technology transfer, improving manpower, applying smart governance, and refining regulatory framework.

Meanwhile, developing and least developed countries need to boost self-reliance to be resilient in their development and in coping with climate change to ensure that climate response is just for all nations.

Overview of the National Statement Plenary at the First Part of the High-level Segment.

The Prime Minister stressed that Vietnam, since making its net zero commitments at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, has taken action to step by step make the targets possible. It includes three groups of tasks: (1) building climate change strategies; green growth strategies; renewable energy-based Power Development Plan; and developing renewable energy ecosystems.

The second group covers the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); setting up the Secretariat, working groups, and partners supporting the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP); launching the one-million hectares of low-carbon and high-quality rice.

The third group of missions includes refining the legal framework, specifically Law on Oil and Gas, Land Law, Law on Electricity; completing Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA), facilitating renewable energy projects, and supporting individuals and businesses in energy transition.  

The efforts from each country and the international community would help address climate crisis for a prosperous world, the Prime Minister emphasized.

On the same day, the Vietnamese Prime Minister also joined a session on phasing out coal-fired power by 2030 chaired by France’s President Emmanuel Macron with the attendance of Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance Mark Carney, European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, President of the World Bank Ajay Banga, and representatives of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Addressing the session, Chinh said Vietnam will refine its legal framework to make the transition to renewable energy with a roadmap and steps appropriate to the national context. The move will be taken in support of international cooperation, public-private partnerships, financial mobilization, and technology transfer.