Canadian FM talks to Vietnamese students about climate change

Hanoi (VNA) – Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion has suggested Canada, Vietnam and other signatories to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change join hands to achieve the target of limiting the planet’s warming to below 2 degrees Celsius reached at the 21st UN Climate Change Conference.

The Canadian Minister had a talk with students from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Hanoi University on September 5, within the framework of his official visit to Vietnam.

According to him, issues on the environment and climate change challenge not only Vietnam but also the whole world, and no countries can address these challenges unilaterally.

Countries should pay attention to issues related to the environment and bio-diversity like fish reserves, clean water resources and public health during the development process, he said.

Minister Stephane Dion told participating students that his country will provide 15 million CAD (approximately 11.6 million USD) to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam with initiatives and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He also answered their questions on necessary solutions to have a global agreement on climate change response, especially for such developing nations like Vietnam, as well as barriers related to cooperation in climate change response.-VNA