Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh (Photo: VNA) Talking to the press aboutthe event, Thanh said COP28 is one of the biggest and most importantinternational meetings in 2023. According to the organising committee, morethan 130 heads of states and government leaders, along with about 70,000delegates from 197 countries, non-governmental organisations, businesses, youthgroups, and relevant parties will attend the event.
Prime Minister Pham MinhChinh will lead the Vietnamese delegation to COP28.
Aspart of the conference, the World Climate Action Summit will take place onDecember 1 - 2, providing a forum for countries to make new and strongercommitments and actions about financial and technological contributions andgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction to reach the targets set in the ParisAgreement on climate change, he noted.
Hesaid Vietnam is assessed as highly vulnerable to climate change, and ranks 21st in the world and second in Southeast Asia in terms of GHG emissions. However, ithas taken many practical actions to cut GHG emissions and conduct just energytransition.
The country’s experience in climate change adaptation will be useful for others, Thanh continued, adding that its efforts to reduce GHG emissions willalso substantially contribute to global efforts in this regard. Vietnam’sactive participation and actions will considerably help with the conference’ssuccess and global endeavours in climate change response.
Prior to COP28, many countries have expressed their hope that Vietnam will joininitiatives at the event, and it is set to take part in such importantinitiatives as the Global Cooling Pledge and an initiative on implementingArticle 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Itwill also consider joining in some other initiatives like the one on global energyefficiency and renewable energy; the COP28 declaration on climate and health;the group of countries supporting culture-related climate action in the UNFCCC;the declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climateaction; and the gender-responsive just transitions and climate actionpartnership, according to Thanh.
He said Vietnam’s viewpoint at the conference is that climate change responsemust be carried out basing on the principle of equity and justice, a global andall people-based approach, comprehensive institutions, efficient and effectivepolicies and laws, science, technology, innovation, maximised internal strength,and promoted international cooperation. Attention to climate change responseactivities must be as high as that for the reduction of GHG emissions, the DeputyMinister went on.
COP28 will take place in the UAE from November 30 to December 12. Itwill also call on other countries, organisations, and businesses to seriouslyrealise their commitments through concrete and practical actions. Developed countriesshould take the lead in and increase assistance for developing ones to conductjust energy transition by providing finance, especially non-refundable assistance,transferring technology, and building capacity.
Inaddition, it is necessary to ensure climate equity and justice, which meansensuring national energy self-sufficiency and security, promoting access toclean energy at reasonable prices for all businesses and people and jobs forworkers, boosting finance for adaptation, and soon put the Loss and Damage Fundinto operation to step up support for developing countries to cope with climatechange, he said.
AtCOP28, Vietnam will introduce its climate change response efforts. It will alsolaunch a resource mobilisation plan for the implementation of the PoliticalDeclaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a moveaimed at calling on international partners to cooperate with and help thecountry realise climate change response commitments and invest in energytransition projects to secure green transition and a circular and low-carboneconomy, Thanh noted.
Vietnamhopes that COP28 will obtain substantive strides in multiple areas to respondto climate change, including adopting the guideline for implementing Article 6of the Paris Agreement to provide a basis for countries to carry out the carboncredit exchange mechanism and the nationally determined contributions.
It also hopes that the issued commitments will be realised through developmentpolicies of each country and organisation, and routinely monitored andassessed, and that they will be implemented seriously to help with climate changeresponse around the world and consolidate trust among countries, the DeputyMinister remarked./.
VNA
