COP26 President Visits Vietnam to Promote Cooperation in Climate Change

The working visit to Vietnam from February 13 to 15, 2022, of Minister, President of the 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), Alok Sharma was to discuss strengthening cooperation in climate change adaptation.

Minister, President Alok Sharma spoke about the UK’s determination to work with Vietnam in achieving its commitments and to put forward a 2030 climate action plan that aligns with the 1.5 degrees goal.

Within the framework of the visit, the COP26 President Alok Sharma met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha - Vietnam’s Chief Negotiator for climate change, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

Mr. Sharma welcomed the ambitious commitments made by Prime Minister Chinh at COP26, including a 2050 net-zero commitment and endorsing the ‘Coal to clean power transition’ statement.

“I welcome the climate leadership Prime Minister Chinh demonstrated at COP26, including the vital goal to reach net-zero by 2050. And it was fantastic to discuss in person how the UK can work with Vietnam to achieve these ambitious targets and deliver a 2030 plan that aligns with the 1.5 goal.”

During a meeting with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha on February 14, the two sides exchanged priority orientations for implementing COP26 decisions and preparing content for COP27.

The COP26 President said that the British Government would accompany and support Vietnam, and agreed with Minister Tran Hong Ha's point of view that there should be a coordinating body to unify the conditions on mechanisms, policies and finance to achieve the committed goals at COP26 and towards COP27.

The COP26 President also acknowledged the scale of the task to deliver the public investment needed for Vietnam to transition to clean energy, and the finance needed to provide dedicated support to Vietnam to achieve its ambitious climate commitments. This includes the potential for support through the ‘Clean Green Initiative’, which aims to help developing countries take advantage of green technology and grow their economies sustainably.

By Giang Tu, Vietnam Business Forum