Hanoi (VNA) – By August 2025, Vietnam has eliminated around 240 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent through the management and phase-out of substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh said at a workshop held in Hanoi on September 15 to mark the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2025 (September 16).
He noted that under the national plan for managing and phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and controlled greenhouse gases, Vietnam aims to directly reduce about 11.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2045. With additional measures such as shifting to low- or zero-global warming potential (GWP) substances, improving lifecycle management through collection and recycling, and promoting sustainable cooling, the country could achieve deeper cuts and move closer to its net-zero goal by 2050.
“These outcomes demonstrate that Vietnam is on the right track in implementing the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, while actively cooperating with the international community,” Thanh stressed.
Vietnam became a party to both agreements in 1994. With support from the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and other partners, it has successfully phased out several ODS and is managing HCFCs and HFCs according to its commitments. Enterprises have also received assistance in adopting climate-friendly technologies and promoting sustainable cooling.
The Deputy Minister added that Vietnam has improved its policy and legal framework, integrating ozone protection with priorities such as greenhouse gas reduction and green transition. Recent regulations, including Decree No. 119/2025/ND-CP, aim to create a more supportive environment for businesses and ensure the safe management of controlled substances.
Tina Chondraki Birmpili, Chief Officer of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, described the Vienna Convention and the Protocol as one of the greatest achievements in global environmental cooperation, effectively phasing out ODS while controlling HFCs under the Kigali Amendment.
The Protocol has also contributed significantly to slowing global warming, she said, adding that the Fund has supported about 90 projects in Vietnam, with implementation set for 2026.
Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change Le Ngoc Tuan highlighted Vietnam’s success in phasing out CFCs, Halon, and CTC by 2010, and pure HCFC-141b in foam production by 2015, while restricting methyl bromide use to agricultural quarantine. These actions have helped protect the ozone layer and cut emissions.
Ozone protection efforts have been institutionalised in the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection and a range of decrees, circulars, and technical standards. This framework has enabled Vietnam to align ODS control with its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), while creating opportunities to participate in carbon credit markets and access international finance.
John Robert Cotton, Deputy Director of the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, said Vietnam is building a national green cooling programme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The programme focuses on improving energy efficiency, strengthening cold chain systems, and promoting passive cooling through climate-adaptive design and nature-based solutions. Active cooling creates a synergistic force for sustainable cooling within the overall plan, Cotton underlined.
At the workshop, delegates exchanged views on topics such as the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in Vietnam, intergovernmental and public-private cooperation, lifecycle management and digital tracking of controlled substances, financing for sustainable cooling, customs guidance, recycling technologies, and the carbon credit potential of controlled substances./.
