Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Alok Kumar Sharma, British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), who is on a working visit to Vietnam to promote the implementation of the conference’s outcomes. Photo: VNA

Sharma, who is on a working visit to Vietnam to promote the implementation of the conference’s outcomes, made the pledge during his meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, VOV reported.

The PM expressed his delight at the fast, strong, and comprehensive development of the Vietnam - UK strategic partnership in the recent past, as well as the two sides’ fruitful cooperation in economy, politics, diplomacy, and capitalisation of the Vietnam - UK Free Trade Agreement.

He thanked the UK, especially the AstraZeneca company, for the timely provision of vaccine and medical supplies for Vietnam in Covid-19 response.

PM Chinh said the Vietnamese Party and State view climate change response as one of the difficult but urgent tasks, noting that the country has been actively and proactively joining hands with the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, and considers this as a chance to switch to a green, circular, and low-carbon development model.

Since COP26, Vietnam has been seriously and swiftly taking actions to realise its commitments as seen in the establishment of a national steering committee for implementing its pledges made at the conference, and the PM is head of this committee.

The country is working hard to perfect the relevant legal framework; build detailed plans, measures, and roadmaps; overhaul related strategies and plans; and mobilise investment resources for climate-resilient infrastructure in order to carry out the commitments, he noted.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents a souvenir to Alok Kumar Sharma, British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), who is on a working visit to Vietnam to promote the implementation of the conference’s outcomes. Photo: VNA

The Government leader asked Sharma, as COP26 President, to continue helping promote Vietnam’s cooperation with the UK and development partners to assist the country to implement those commitments and the global initiatives on emissions reduction and climate change adaptation.

He called for support for Vietnam to connect with the financial institutions and credit organisations able to provide financial aid and credit for the country similar to the Just Energy Transition Partnership that the UK, France, Germany, the US, and the European Union signed with South Africa.

Vietnam also needs assistance to set up a domestic carbon market linked with the international one; establish a renewable energy centre to boost human resources training, technology transfer, and sharing of legal and country governance experience; and align legal regulations with the promises at COP26, according to Chinh.

Sharma spoke highly of Vietnam’s strong commitments and leadership in the region while welcoming the country’s swift and comprehensive actions, along with efforts by the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, and sectors to ensure the pledges are implemented in reality.

He affirmed the readiness to cooperate and share experience with Vietnam to help carry out the commitments, stressing that the energy transition process is key to its climate commitments since 70% of the country’s gas emissions is from the energy sector.

The UK will assist Vietnam to access and mobilise necessary financial sources during this process, the COP26 President added.

Vietnam striving to achieve ‘net zero’ by 2050

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivered a speech at the opening day of Climate Summit, held within the framework of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland (the UK). Photo: VNA

While delivering a keynote speech at the first working day of the Climate Summit, held within the framework of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland (the UK) last November, Chinh called on countries to make strong commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions on the basis of common responsibility that suit their conditions and capacity, adding that there should be fairness and justice in climate change issues.

Every action must be based on nature and put people at the centre and consider people as the subject and driving force for sustainable development so that no one is left behind, he said, as cited by Viet Nam News.

Developed countries must fully deliver on their financial commitments while setting more ambitious financial goals after 2025.

The Government leader affirmed that, despite being a developing country that has just carried out its industrialisation over the past three decades, Vietnam, with advantages in renewable energy, will build and implement strong measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using its own resources coupled with the cooperation and support of the international community, especially from developed countries, in terms of finance and technology transfer, including implementation of mechanisms under the Paris Agreement, to achieve zero emissions by 2050.

"Vietnam wants to strengthen cooperation with the international community in sustainable investment and development programmes and projects in the time to come," he stated./.

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