Vietnamnet.com-May 24
Nguyen Duc Ngu from the Center for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment emphasized that the draft decree clearly says it is not based on the Environment Protection Law or the national strategy on natural resource and environmental protection, but on Vietnam’s commitments within the framework of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Ngu said that international agreements Vietnam signed don’t have any legal mechanism that forces Vietnam to implement commitments on greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
“Vietnam will implement commitments, but this is not an urgent matter that needs to be implemented immediately. There are still many other problems that need money from the state budget to solve,” Ngu said.
“If Vietnam exaggerates the matter, it will bind itself and take on responsibilities of developed countries,” he said.
According to the expert, the draft decree stipulates the tasks for agencies, organizations and enterprises, but doesn’t mention the role and duties of the state.
“The draft decree only has a general provision that the State will ‘encourage, support and give preferences’ to accelerate greenhouse gas emission reductions, but doesn’t point out what the preferences are,” he said. “As a result, enterprises cannot receive any preferences.”
Sharing the same view, Vu Trong Hong, chair of the Vietnam Irrigation Association, said it is not a must, but Vietnam needs to implement international commitments.
He said the decree needs to show Vietnam’s typical characteristics as an agricultural country, not strong in industrial production. It needs international support in capital, technology and knowledge to reach the goals on greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Hong said if Vietnam cannot properly define the figures about greenhouse gas emissions, it is likely to ‘fall into foreigners’ trap’. Foreign companies exploit opportunities to step up the export of technology products to Vietnam, such as electricity-saving appliances and household-use technology products.
Hong also said that clarifying the role of the state in the decree is needed. Under the new regulations of the World Bank and ADB, if Vietnam wants to borrow international capital to implement commitments, it will have to show the ability to manage the implementation process.
He went on to suggest canceling the plans to develop small-scale hydraulic and thermal power plants.
“While other countries in the world are cutting the number of small-scale power plants to develop large plants and green power, Vietnam is building many more small plants,” he commented.
