Vietnam & Denmark partners in reaching ambitions
Two working together for sustainable development and climate change mitigation and are both present at COP28 in Dubai.
Vietnam and Denmark will continue to work together to achieve global climate ambitions and accelerate ongoing cooperation in various sectors towards a green transition and sustainable social and economic development, according to a commitment from leaders of the two countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) being held from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, UAE.
COP28 is the most important COP since the adoption of the Paris Agreement. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is imperative that global emissions reach net-zero in 2050 and subsequently become net-negative if the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees is to be kept alive.
However, there remains a substantial emissions gap between current national mitigation plans and a plausible pathway to 1.5 degrees.
Both Vietnam and Denmark have set ambitious emissions reduction targets.
At COP26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made a commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which sent a clear signal to the world regarding Vietnam’s direction and determination towards low-carbon and sustainable development.
Denmark, meanwhile, aims to reduce emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, 100 per cent by 2045, and 110 per cent by 2050 and so become a net negative emitter.
Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, with a high dependence on fossil fuels and an increasingly energy-hungry industry sector with strong export orientations. As one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and increasingly faced with demand for green energy among foreign investors seeking to establish production bases in the country, Vietnam is an important partner in the global fight against climate change.
At COP28, Denmark announced a total of $50 million worth of support to the most climate-vulnerable countries. Half of the commitment will be allocated to a new loss and damage fund decided on during the opening day of COP28. Denmark will also launch the Group Of Negative Emitters (GONE) alliance, aimed at initiating a race to the top among countries to determine ambitious mitigation goals.
Meeting each other at COP 28, both Prime Minister Chinh and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised the long and fruitful cooperation between the two countries, especially in the area of climate change and energy transition.
In light of the Green Strategic Partnership between Denmark and Vietnam, established on November 1, both leaders agreed to instruct relevant agencies to take concerted measures to further deepen the bilateral relationship.
On the occasion of Vietnam’s launch of its Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP) for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), of which Denmark is a member alongside G7 countries, the EU, and Norway, Prime Minister Frederiksen congratulated Prime Minister Chinh and the government of Vietnam on this important step towards implementing the JETP.
“At this critical moment in Vietnam’s transition, Denmark and the IPG stand ready to support Vietnam to get on track to deliver on its ambitious Net Zero 2050 goal,” Prime Minister Frederiksen added. “Denmark has more than 40 years of experience with green transition, and we have shown that green transition can be a driver for jobs and green economic growth. We are committed to sharing our experience and know-how to support Vietnam’s just energy transition.”
H.E. Nicolai Prytz, Ambassador of Denmark to Vietnam, said at COP28 that Denmark is pushing for an agreement on a global phase-out of fossil fuels and global targets for massively scaling up renewable energy and improving energy efficiency.
“In Vietnam, we are supporting such ambitious targets through our joint Energy Partnership program,” the Ambassador added. “The program, which has been running for ten years, aims to provide Vietnamese Government agencies with the tools and knowledge to develop policies and plans for the energy transition, as well as support implementation. The recently-launched Green Strategic Partnership has opened an even greater opportunity for Vietnam and Denmark to further strengthen our long term cooperation on green transition and low carbon economy in various strategic sectors of the economy.”
Results and experience from the joint Energy Partnership Program between Vietnam and Denmark will also be shared at the Vietnamese Pavilion, where directors for Global Cooperation from the Danish Energy Agency will deliver presentations on “Danish Green Transition experience and key learning from the Energy Partnership with Vietnam” and “How Denmark tracks emissions in the Vietnamese energy sector based on the Energy Outlook Report work”.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Vietnam and Denmark have enjoyed strong and close cooperation.
On November 1, 2023, the two Prime Ministers jointly declared the establishment of a Green Strategic Partnership.
The signing marked a milestone in the two countries’ cooperative relations and established a solid framework for supporting Vietnam to develop a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy and promote the development of the circular economy.
The Partnership will build on and consolidate the existing cooperation in Climate, Environment and Energy, Food and Agriculture, Trade and Business Collaboration, Health and Life Science, Statistics, and other initiatives of mutual interest.
