Announcement of National Report “Environmental Policy in Vietnam”

Attending the discussion were Rector Hoang Anh Tuan; Mr. Michael Siegner - Chief Representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation in Vietnam; Prof. Dr. Mai Trong Nhuan - former President of VNU, Senior Expert of the Government, Vice Chairman of the Climate Change Policy Advisory Council, under the National Committee on Climate Change; Mr. Dao Xuan Lai - Head of the Climate Change and Environment Department, United Nations Development Program in Vietnam, along with experts and scientists from Vietnam and the Federal Republic of Germany.
 
The National Environmental Policy Report in Vietnam provides an overview of the pressing environmental issues facing Vietnam and specific policies and measures to mitigate, eliminate or prevent these issues.
In his opening speech, Principal Hoang Anh Tuan said: In recent years, the environment has always been one of the topics that has attracted the most attention from countries and people on earth. Even in the context where it seems that all resources, all care and attention are devoted to issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and other environmental issues are still among the top concerns of humanity. Therefore, the publication of the National Report on "Environmental Policy in Vietnam" at one of Vietnam's leading research units in the field of social sciences and humanities has special significance in terms of science, policy and practice, especially at the right time when the United Nations Climate Change Summit 2021 (COP21) is taking place.
 
Rector Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his thanks for the contributions of scientists who participated in the National Report and hoped to continue to receive cooperation from scientists to be able to build the National Report into a brand of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, properly reflecting the position and role of the University as a research university and a policy consulting agency.
 
Presenting the main research results in the Report “Environmental Policy in Vietnam”, Dr. Detlef Briesen - Justus Liebig Giessen University, co-editor of the Report said: The Earth and the entire biosphere on the planet are facing major threats caused by climate change. As a tropical country with a long coastline, Vietnam is one of the countries most seriously affected. In addition to global environmental problems, Vietnam also faces major domestic environmental challenges. The development of cities, the economy, the transportation system and the strong growth of industrial and agricultural production have led to air, water and soil pollution and serious damage to the country's flora and fauna.
 
Vietnam adopted its first Environmental Protection Law in 1993. After two amendments, the adoption of the new Environmental Protection Law in 2020 represents the most significant innovation in the national environmental policy system. Effective from January 2022, the new Environmental Protection Law will create a solid legal framework for policy instruments including environmental permits, circular economy, extended producer responsibility, and many other policy instruments.
 
Mr. Michael Siegner, Chief Representative of Hanns Seidel Foundation in Vietnam, said: "In order to improve the effectiveness of environmental policies, the Report makes a number of recommendations: simplifying administrative procedures, strengthening coordination between environmental policies and other government policies, more closely controlling production chains, increasing financial resources, proactively adapting to climate change and combating the invasion of alien species, planning a transport system suitable to people's needs, improving the quality of public passenger transport, or implementing campaigns to raise awareness of people and authorities.
 
According to Professor Pham Quang Minh, former Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, co-editor of the Report, "protecting the environment is now as important and difficult as protecting the Fatherland from enemy attacks, one of which is sometimes ourselves."
At the seminar, the experts received many direct questions from readers in the live stream on the fanpage of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities expressing their interest in environmental issues in Vietnam as well as the research results published in the Report. The sharing and discussion revolved around the following contents: What role does the younger generation play in environmental policy making? What is the role of education in raising people's awareness of environmental protection? How to promote people's environmental protection initiatives in daily life? What can developed countries do to help developing countries to accelerate the commitment to bring emissions to zero? Solutions to reduce the role of fossil fuels to move towards "greener and more environmentally friendly"? How to control environmental pollution treatment technologies of foreign companies in Vietnam? Important changes in Vietnam's environmental laws? Priority solution to solve urban heat island problem?...
 
With the aim of creating a quality, reliable source of information for a wide range of readers, from politicians, policy practitioners, representatives of research institutions, the business community and the public, in 2020, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany, with funding from the Hanns Seidel Foundation, launched the project to publish the annual Country Report on Vietnam. The publications provide in-depth comments and updated information on issues of great interest in modern Vietnamese society.
 
The first publication on the topic “Vietnam: An Aging Society” was published in January 2021. The report “Environmental Policy in Vietnam” is the second publication in the series of publications of the Project. This publication has the participation and contributions of leading scientists in the field from prestigious units at home and abroad: Humburg University, Federal Republic of Germany, Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Mining and Geology, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Mekong Institute for Development Studies, and units in the university such as the Faculty of Sociology, Institute of Journalism, Faculty of Archival Science and Office Management, and Faculty of International Studies. The third publication – “Vietnam: A Digital Society” – is expected to be launched to readers in January 2022.