Regulatory framework for climate change programme discussed

Forest planting for coastal protection in southern Soc Trang province. (Photo: VNA)

Officials from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MONRE) and other stakeholders met in Hanoi on July 29 to share ideas toward accelerating the completion of the 2016 regulatory framework for the Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change (SP-RCC).

In his remarks at the meeting, MONRE Minister Nguyen Minh Quang said the SP-RCC, implemented since 2010 as a joint effort of six donors and 10 ministries, has been provided approximately 1 billion USD in sponsorship and helped develop more than 200 climate change related policies and specific projects to date, the minister noted.

It has raised the awareness of climate change impacts among the public as well as state governor bodies, resulting in the inclusion of climate change related actions in development plans and policies at national, regional and local levels, he added.

The design of the SP-RCC for 2016-2020 began in 2014, with 30 content items proposed, he said, adding that stakeholders have approved 8 items, leaving 22 others on the table.

During the meeting, the attendees focused their discussion on 19 proposal contents for the regulatory framework for 2016 and for the 2016-2020 period regarding a roadmap on reforming fuel subsidies, assistance to build a national plan of action on reducing greenhouse gas emission in cement production in Vietnam, a roadmap to apply vehicle emission standards and climate change mitigation in the Mekong Delta region.

Two other items will be discussed by technical groups while an item is determined to be part of tasks for this year.-VNA