(VOVworld) The Prime Minister has asked ministries and relevant agencies to contribute additional opinions to complete by June a green growth strategy framework until 2020, with a vision to 2050. Consequently, the Vietnamese government has adopted a green growth strategy aimed not only at increasing economic efficiency and competitiveness, but also at responding to climate change and reducing the green house effect.  

Vietnam is to complete a green growth strategy framework until 2020

Green growth is a priority in many countries’ development strategies in the context of increasing climate change. For developing nations like Vietnam, green growth offers a chance to change the economic structure, generate jobs, and increase people’s incomes. According to UNDP statistics, Vietnam’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2000 were equal to 150 million tones of carbon dioxide. Although Vietnam’s emission level per capita remains low compared to other developing countries, it has sharply increased in recent years. Vietnam has not considered natural resources as an extremely important source of power, which has led to increasingly wasteful use and environmental pollution. Nguyen Van Tai, Director of the National Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment says ‘Green growth is an inescapable trend and Vietnam cannot escape it. Therefore, the first thing Vietnam should do is locate its position in the global green economy and transform its own economy. Currently, each nation has its own approach depending on its development level, economic growth, natural resources and environment.

Vietnam is endowed with many advantages such as high biodiversity and a great ratio of agricultural production in the national economy. The transformation of agriculture into a green economy with a focus on high quality agricultural products will consolidate Vietnam’s ability to ease the global food security crisis. Aqua-culture is another strong point that Vietnam should exploit and target to new markets. Eco-tourism remains largely untapped. Dao Xuan Lai, head of the sustainable development section of the UN Development Program in Vietnam sayas ‘Green growth first focuses on using the available human and natural resources more efficiently and intelligently. It means we can apply green growth even when we don’t have funding’.

Vietnam has developed a green growth strategy which will be implemented from now until 2030 with a vision to 2050. The strategy involves restructuring the economy in the direction of ecology-based economic sectors, reforming production technologies toward reduced low-carbon emissions, sustainable growth, and development of environmentally friendly services and recycling technologies. Thai Quang Trung, Director of the Green World Organization emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness ‘Educating people and raising public awareness about how to manage this economy is the most important thing. We need a new generation of entrepreneurs and economic managers’.

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