Vietnam puts forward three green growth initiatives at P4G summit

THE HANOI TIMES — Kicking off the 4th P4G Summit in Hanoi on April 16, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh laid out three key initiatives to drive green growth, starting with a call to strengthen green policies and prioritize science, technology, digital transformation, and innovation.

Speaking to global leaders and stakeholders gathered for the high-level event, the prime minister said that policy reform and tech-driven development must go hand in hand to accelerate the transition toward a greener, more sustainable economy.

"Green growth must begin with a green transition and involve raising public awareness and thinking at all levels - individual, national, and regional - about the importance of sustainability," said Chinh.

The second initiative, also a topic of discussion, is to build a responsible global green community in which governments provide stable policies and direction, the private sector leads in investing in green technologies, the scientific community pioneers in green technology and human resource training, and citizens enjoy the benefits of the green transition.

As a third initiative, the prime minister called for greater international cooperation and the development of green growth models, institutional reforms, faster capital flows, and advances in green technologies and governance.

Chinh urged developed countries to take the lead in fulfilling their commitments to provide financial and technological support and share their experience in regulatory reform. He encouraged developing countries to maximize their internal capacities while making effective use of external resources.

He also called on the P4G Summit to continue to serve as a global incubator for green ideas, helping to scale up projects and boost the development of green technologies.

"Vietnam believes that solidarity, resilience, and creative intelligence among nations will become a powerful force to drive green transformation and inclusive, sustainable global development for the well-being of all people on our green planet," he said.

Prime Minister Chinh said that green transformation and sustainable development are inevitable trends and top priorities for all nations in the face of global challenges such as natural disasters, climate change, pandemics, pollution, resource depletion, and an aging population.

"The green transition has already taught us valuable lessons that will help shape the next phase of greener, more inclusive and sustainable global development," he said.

Delivering a message at the opening ceremony, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam said that Vietnam is focusing on regulatory reform, removing development bottlenecks, unleashing all resources for socio-economic growth, and enabling all sectors of the economy, especially the private sector, to thrive in deeper international integration.

He said that the country is mobilizing all available resources to accelerate socio-economic development, with a strong focus on empowering every sector of the economy, especially the private sector, to thrive amid deeper international integration.

Vietnam sees science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the main driving forces to build modern manufacturing, improve productivity, and reform national governance.

Lam highlighted Vietnam's achievements in green transition, including being a leader in renewable energy supply in ASEAN, a model in promoting sustainable green agriculture with a one million hectare low-emission, high-value rice project, and an active and responsible member of multilateral mechanisms and key green growth initiatives such as the Paris Agreement, the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and the P4G initiative.

He also referred to the national planning framework for green growth, including energy master plans, development strategies for key sectors, lists of priority projects, and specific policies to overcome difficulties in energy and green growth.

"As a developing country, Vietnam faces many challenges, such as limited financial and technological resources, labor shortages, vulnerability to climate change, and global geopolitical instability," he said.

"Vietnam is making rapid strategic progress and preparing for rapid, green, inclusive, and sustainable development. We will translate political commitments into practical actions and motivate businesses and society to participate in green economic development," said General Secretary To Lam.

Green regulatory framework is the foundation, green technology is the breakthrough driver, and green human resources play a key role."

Both General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed their hope that delegates at the summit will make meaningful contributions to fostering international and regional cooperation and partnerships between governments and the private sector to accelerate the green transition and sustainable, inclusive financing.

Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, praised the turnout of summit delegates, saying it demonstrated a commitment to building more sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and prosperous societies.

“By working together for a common purpose, we can help emerging and developing economies transform their energy, water, and food systems to become zero-carbon, more resilient, and more sustainable,” she said.

She warned that despite progress over the past decade, the world is still far from where it needs to be. Many people still lack access to electricity and food, children breathe polluted air from fossil fuels, and climate shocks and geopolitical instability threaten to undo much of the development progress made in recent years, she added.