P4G Vietnam Conference: Global cooperation to solve green development problems

On the morning of April 17, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized that Vietnam is committed to zero net emissions by 2050, and is one of the first countries to develop a National Action Plan to implement the 2030 Agenda, shifting from the traditional growth model to green growth and digital economy.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung made the above comment at the Ministerial Discussion Session with the theme: "Breakthrough technology for green transformation and sustainable development in the smart era" within the framework of the Partnership for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Vietnam 2025 Summit.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung also commented that these are strong commitments, creating great pressure for himself, to activate Vietnamese intelligence, seek global innovation to solve the green development problem of Vietnam and humanity.

According to Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, green and sustainable development is development based on science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. Development of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation also aim to serve green and sustainable development. Vietnam has put these three things under the same state management ministry; considering science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as strategic choices and top priorities.

Regarding the priority of applying and developing new technologies, for Vietnam, breakthrough technologies that can create fundamental changes in the green development of humanity are hydrogen, new generation batteries, low-carbon technology, and circular technology. New generation digital technologies that drive green transformation are AI, IoT, big data, and semiconductor chips. These are all technologies selected by the Vietnamese Government as strategic technologies to prioritize development.

According to the Minister, like the rest of the world, Vietnam considers AI to be the core technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Vietnam's digital transformation is being transformed into AI transformation. But Vietnam's approach to AI is that AI does not replace humans but only empowers them. AI is an assistant to humans; AI makes all activities smarter, more optimal and therefore more resource-saving.

Regarding green transformation and digital transformation, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung said that green and digital are twins; if you want to be green, you have to be digital. In the digital environment, people will spend less on material things. Activities in the digital environment will also be more effective, because there is no distance, no intermediaries and no contact. Vietnam promotes digital transformation in a comprehensive and nationwide way in all fields. Data centers will be the largest consumers of electricity in the future. So, digital transformation must use green electricity, must use electricity efficiently. If you want to have a green transformation, there must be green standards. Standards are meaningful in guiding the direction of the country. Green transformation is a global issue, requiring cooperation in building a set of global green standards.

Regarding the effective use of available resources, from natural resources, energy, knowledge to data and capital, Minister Nguyen Manh Hung assessed that humanity is not currently using available resources effectively. Recycling only reaches about 7.2%, food waste is over 30%, electricity efficiency only reaches 30-40%, only 5% of data is analyzed and used effectively, 2% of total global financial assets are invested in the field of green and sustainable development.

“The solution could be to use IoT to digitize the entire real world and AI to monitor the performance of the entire real world, from there, evaluate and make adjustment decisions, then people will use resources much more effectively," said Minister Nguyen Manh Hung.

The Minister called for global action, promoting multilateral cooperation, creating new cooperation models, sharing experiences and technologies, and supporting developing countries in the green transition process. At the same time, he also proposed establishing a website so that P4G countries, corporations and companies can conveniently and quickly access information on technologies and experiences in green transition; establishing an “Open Innovation Model” in P4G member countries to form a bridge between solution and technology providers and corporations and organizations with green transition needs.

Europlast Long An solar power plant. (Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA)

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung expressed his hope that the opinions at the Discussion Session would suggest many new approaches to green development, creating opportunities for global cooperation, because only global cooperation can solve the problem of green development. There cannot be a green country without a green world. There cannot be a green world without a green country.

Co-chairing the discussion session with Minister Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Soipan Tuya assessed that Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential in areas such as finance, energy, agriculture and many others. However, along with that is the risk of job loss, lack of data security as well as differentiation and gaps in technology and digitalization. "The question is how to leverage technology to promote green transformation and sustainable development," said Hon. Soipan Tuya.

Providing a personal solution, Hon. Soipan Tuya said that it is necessary to increase investment and build infrastructure for Artificial Intelligence to build an AI ecosystem, expand AI-related innovation, and provide reliable and high-speed internet connections. In addition, there is a need for a low-cost data system for easy access to cloud computing, thereby helping to reduce costs for startups and researchers, promote the development of domestic AI solutions, reduce dependence on foreign servers, and encourage the development of sustainable on-site data centers.

Delegates attending the Ministerial Discussion Session focused on discussing three key contents: Taking advantage of the digitalization trend and applying AI in reducing emissions and optimizing resources; Promoting public-private cooperation to maximize the potential for innovation in green transformation; Solutions to overcome technical barriers, infrastructure and data security to promote technology application./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-nghi-p4g-viet-nam-hop-tac-toan-cau-de-giai-quyet-bai-toan-phat-trien-xanh-post1033339.vnp