The eighth Vietnam - Japan environmental policy dialogue was held on January 12 in a hybrid format, co-chaired by Japan’s State Minister of the Environment Yagi Tetsuya, and Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh, VNA reported.

Deputy Minister Thanh highlighted the event's importance as the memorandum of understanding for cooperation that the two ministries signed in 2020 expired, saying that this is an opportunity for the two ministries to discuss to open up a new phase of cooperation in the environment, climate change, and plastic waste reduction.

Japanese State Minister Yagi said that the cooperation between the two ministries has achieved specific and practical results, especially in the field of environment and climate change adaptation.

Japan’s State Minister of the Environment Yagi Tetsuya, and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh at the signing ceremony of MoU on environment between the two ministries. Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn

Vietnam participated in the Joint Credit Mechanism proposed by the Japanese Government to implement bilateral cooperation with developing countries.

To date, more than 40 projects related to the mechanism have been carried out in Vietnam, helping Vietnam raise its capacity to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement while promoting the process of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On collaboration in natural disaster mitigation, Deputy Minister Thanh said Vietnam is interested in devising solutions to a natural disaster early warning system, including a network of hydrometeorological monitoring stations.

The Ministry encouraged Japanese businesses to join the hydrometeorological service market in Vietnam, Thanh said, adding that his ministry supports initiatives on early warning system of the Japanese environment ministry.

Minister Yagi said his ministry is making efforts to apply measures on early warning in countries in the Asia-Pacific region via the public-private partnership.

Referring to the issue of pollution caused by plastic waste, Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh shared that the Japanese Ministry of the Environment has supported equipment to investigate, survey and analyze ocean plastic waste; support capacity building through training courses and the organization of seminars on ocean plastic waste in Vietnam and ASEAN countries.

Regarding waste management, according to Yagi, Japan has supported Vietnam in equipping infrastructure such as waste treatment works to generate electricity and building regulations for appropriate waste treatment. Continuing with this effort, next March, Japan will hold a technical dialogue to come up with specific cooperation contents. By the fall of 2024, the two sides will organize the 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific.

In addition to cooperation in mitigating impacts of climate change, Vietnam is seeking Japan’s support in tackling pollution, particularly ocean plastic waste, electronic waste, expired solar panels, solid waste, and waste water, along with air and water environment control.

Yagi affirmed that the Japanese Ministry of the Environment always stands ready to cooperate and accompany the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to carry out activities on environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

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