On the afternoon of June 5, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh held a working session in Hanoi with Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, during his official visit to Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh held a working session in Hanoi with Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition. Photo: Kieu Chi.During the meeting, Deputy Minister Thanh emphasized that Vietnam is actively implementing the Just Energy Transition Program (JETP) as part of its national strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the energy sector. The government has issued the Revised Power Development Plan VIII, is studying new electricity pricing mechanisms, and is strengthening the national transmission grid to ensure energy security amid the ongoing green Transition.
He also noted that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is currently leading the development of Vietnam's third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which will soon be submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The NDC update process has received technical and financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and international partners.
Deputy Minister Thanh expressed his hope that the United Nations will continue to accompany Vietnam, sharing best practices and solutions from leading countries to support Vietnam in achieving its climate mitigation and sustainable development goals.
In response, Mr. Selwin Hart commended Vietnam's efforts in promoting a just energy transition, noting that the country is among ASEAN's leaders in scaling up renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources. He added that since 2010, renewable energy costs have fallen by as much as 40%, demonstrating the effectiveness of political commitments and strategic investments made by countries like Vietnam.
To support this process, Mr. Hart said the UN Secretary-General will continue engaging heads of state on the progress of new NDC preparations and will advocate for additional UN system support during the upcoming High-Level Political Forum, scheduled for September at the UN General Assembly.