During COP30, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh held a bilateral meeting with Hon Simon Watts, New Zealand’s Minister for Climate Change.
NAt the meeting, Deputy Minister Thanh emphasized that Vietnam highly values the Memorandum of Arrangement (MOA) between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and New Zealand’s Ministry for Climate Change. The agreement, he said, provides an important foundation for both sides to advance climate cooperation in the new period, aligned with the strategic priorities agreed upon by the two countries.
Minister Simon Watts affirmed that New Zealand is committed to supporting Viet Nam in promoting a high-productivity, low-emission agricultural model. This includes partnering with Viet Nam to implement major initiatives such as the one-million-hectare high-quality, low-emission rice program by 2030. He added that New Zealand is ready to assist Viet Nam in developing its carbon market and is exploring opportunities to expand cooperation further in the coming year.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh and Mr. Hon Simon Watts, New Zealand’s Minister for Climate Change meet during COP30. Photo: Chu Huong.From the Vietnamese side, Deputy Minister Thanh noted that the Government is directing ministries and agencies to develop legal and institutional frameworks related to climate change, including cooperation mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Viet Nam is also piloting its domestic carbon market. In this context, Vietnam hopes to receive training programs and expert exchanges with New Zealand, particularly with technical groups experienced in carbon market operation and emissions management.
Deputy Minister Thanh highlighted that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment oversees multiple sectors, including climate change, fisheries and livestock. This opens opportunities for both countries to explore new joint initiatives in areas such as just energy transition; ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), nature-based solutions (NbS), and community-based adaptation in deltas and coastal areas; low-emission agriculture; and strengthening the role of women and vulnerable groups in climate resilience.
New Zealand shared its experience in developing climate adaptation frameworks that enable economic and social sectors to track, adjust and effectively implement adaptation measures. Minister Watts emphasized that New Zealand is actively engaged in international carbon markets and welcomes the strategic cooperation already established between the two countries.
During the discussion, both sides agreed to further expand the scope of cooperation, particularly in climate adaptation linked to disaster prevention and risk reduction. Deputy Minister Thanh noted that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Viet Nam is responsible for both long-term climate change response and short-term disaster management, which creates substantial potential for deeper collaboration. Minister Watts welcomed Viet Nam’s proposals and agreed to advance coordination mechanisms in the near future