Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha: Fundamental transition to a green economy will thoroughly solve environmental problems - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi
The national environmental protection plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, is built to meet the requirements of environmental protection, serving the country's sustainable development based on the arrangement and orientation of spatial distribution of environmental quality management zones, nature conservation and biodiversity, waste management, environmental monitoring and warning according to defined territories for environmental protection.
Environmental protection activities aim to build and develop circular economic models, green economy, low carbon, and fulfill the commitment to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to 0 (Net Zero).
Developing environmental protection into a new economic sector
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that the environment is one of the important pillars in the country's sustainable development. Therefore, in addition to appraisal, the content of the Planning needs to be further improved and its quality improved with a multi-sectoral and multi-regional approach; "as long as there is time and new thinking, we must continue to absorb it".
From the current state of environmental pollution and biodiversity loss, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the environmental "problem" must be raised in the development process. Planning needs to be updated according to the growth model of green economy, circular economy, ensuring harmony between economic growth, social security and environmental protection. "Environmental protection must be one step ahead, not lagging behind development."
The Deputy Prime Minister outlined some of the main tasks in environmental protection work today. First of all, it is to preserve and conserve intact areas with important natural landscapes and biodiversity ecosystems. Gradually restore areas with degraded quality, environmental pollution, and ecosystems affected during the development process. Proactively prevent development without affecting the environment. Develop environmental protection into a new economic sector through the development of renewable energy, pollution control, and environmental restoration.
The planning also needs to update new global trends on reducing net greenhouse gas emissions; treating and reusing 100% of wastewater; institutionalizing the content of Resolution 24-NQ/TW in 2013 on proactively responding to climate change, strengthening resource management and environmental protection, and the Law on Environmental Protection in 2020.
"The plan not only sets out the space, implementation roadmap, and priority goals, but must also have policies and solutions for implementation," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Prof. Dr. Truong Quang Hoc (Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) proposed clarifying the mechanisms and policies to promote the development of centralized waste treatment areas at the national and regional levels - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi
Formation of centralized waste treatment areas
According to the report of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the National Environmental Protection Plan is built on the perspective of taking people as the center; ensuring the "openness, dynamic and static" of the plan. The plan is a step to concretize the National Environmental Protection Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050; contributing to the implementation of the National Strategy on Green Growth for the period 2021-2030, vision to 2050; consistent with the plans: National Master Plan, National Land Use Plan, National Marine Spatial Plan.
Environmental protection activities apply a number of principles such as polluters must pay for treatment, remediation, improvement and restoration of the environment. Those who benefit from environmental values must have the obligation to pay to reinvest in environmental protection. Consider waste as a resource, classify waste at source, increase recycling, reuse and recover energy from waste associated with the formation of a continuous production chain. Develop a set of green GDP criteria for the economy.
The general objective of the Environmental Protection Plan is to proactively prevent and control environmental pollution and degradation; restore and improve environmental quality; protect the integrity of natural ecosystems; establish protected areas, conserve nature and biodiversity; form centralized waste treatment areas; and orient the development of a nationwide environmental monitoring and warning network.
The plan sets specific goals for establishing and managing: 256 nature reserves (about 6.7 million hectares); 21 biodiversity conservation facilities for conservation in the 2021-2025 period; 13 biodiversity corridors nationwide (over 1.55 million hectares); 41 areas of high biodiversity (nearly 3 million hectares); 24 important ecological landscapes (nearly 9.3 million hectares); establishing and managing 10 important wetlands (over 0.14 million hectares)...
The plan also sets the goal of establishing centralized waste treatment areas at national, regional and provincial levels with appropriate capacity and treatment technology to meet the requirements of receiving and treating all solid waste generated nationwide, limiting direct landfilling.
Specifically, by 2030, 3 national-level centralized waste treatment areas will be established; 1 regional-level centralized waste treatment area in each socio-economic region; 1 provincial-level centralized waste treatment area in each province. The rate of hazardous waste collected and treated will reach 98% (in particular, the rate of medical waste treated will reach 100%); the rate of domestic solid waste collected and treated will reach 95% in urban areas and 90% in rural areas; the reuse and recycling rate will be over 65%...
Representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade speaking at the meeting - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi
Innovation in management thinking, environmental protection
At the meeting, the evaluation opinions and overall solutions mentioned in the Plan are suitable to reality and highly feasible, including: Innovation in management thinking, strengthening propaganda, raising public awareness. Second, perfecting the mechanism, policies and legal system on environmental protection in accordance with the market economy and international integration.
However, according to Prof. Dr. Truong Quang Hoc (Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), the planning consultancy unit needs to clarify the mechanism and policies to promote the development of centralized waste treatment areas at the national and regional levels; consider the feasibility and review the orientation of nature conservation and biodiversity in the National Biodiversity Plan.
"In this period, we need to closely combine environmental protection planning with biodiversity planning as well as forestry and fishery planning, in line with current international trends," said Mr. Truong Quang Hoc.
In addition to solutions from state management agencies, some delegates proposed to encourage and promote socialized resources in providing environmental services, ecosystems, and solid and hazardous waste treatment; prioritize treatment technology combined with energy recovery, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, safety and suitability to local conditions; develop the recycling industry, encourage the use and consumption of products from waste treatment processes, etc.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stated: Environmental protection planning needs to demonstrate pioneering thinking, lead green development, create new values, and enhance the competitiveness of the economy - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi
Environmental protection must come first, is the development goal
Concluding the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to fully, practically and effectively absorb the opinions of the reviewers, ministries and branches that are members of the appraisal council, especially in collecting and evaluating statistical data, approaches, planning development, etc.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested the agency drafting the Environmental Protection Planning to closely follow the content of Resolution 24-NQ/TW in 2013 on proactively responding to climate change, strengthening resource management and environmental protection, Resolution 36-NQ/TW in 2018 on the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy to 2030, vision to 2045, the National Environmental Protection Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050, the Law on Environmental Protection in 2020, the Law on Planning, etc.
Planning needs to ensure synchronization, connectivity, and mutual support, and avoid conflicts with master plans and national plans of sectors and fields, contributing to ensuring unity between the environment and economic and social fields within the overall, inclusive space of survival and development.
The Deputy Prime Minister stated that with the green economic development model, circular economy, low carbon, the issue of environmental protection must come first, as the basis and foundation for economic development in harmony with nature. Therefore, the Environmental Protection Plan must have the mindset and vision to help economic sectors develop, while at the same time preventing and preventing from afar impacts that may negatively affect the environment.
"Environmental protection planning needs to address the relationship with planning of other economic and social sectors and fields in the direction of goals, motivations, and development requirements. Many environmental protection goals and tasks must be implemented before implementing economic and social projects, and on the other hand, they must be synchronized and in harmony with the planning roadmap of other sectors and fields," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
The Deputy Prime Minister also agreed that the approach to Environmental Protection Planning is not limited to national borders, but follows natural ecosystems, environmental spaces such as ocean plastic waste, forest fires, biodiversity, etc.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized the three important tasks of the Environmental Protection Planning: zoning seriously polluted areas that need priority treatment and remediation; having solutions to regenerate and restore areas of special importance, value and significance to the ecosystem; and orienting green and sustainable economic solutions - Photo: VGP/Minh Khoi
Green economy will solve environmental problems thoroughly
Regarding the objectives of the Environmental Protection Plan, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the need for environmental protection to develop the economy in a sustainable "nature-friendly" direction; improve and restore polluted and degraded areas, especially the core values and ecosystems of Vietnam.
Accordingly, the Environmental Protection Plan must delimit seriously polluted areas that need priority treatment and remediation; have solutions to regenerate and restore areas of special importance, value and significance to the ecosystem such as mangrove forests, protective forests, watersheds... and at the same time develop economic activities based on ecosystems and biodiversity instead of just "strictly delimiting and conserving"; orient sustainable economic solutions when implementing "Net Zero", developing renewable energy, green transportation, circulating wastewater...
"Fundamental transformation to a green economy will thoroughly solve environmental problems," the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed, adding that the Environmental Protection Plan must have criteria as a basis for integrating and incorporating goals and orientations for environmental protection and conservation into the planning of other economic sectors such as land, construction, transportation, etc. "both open and flexible."
In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the Environmental Protection Planning must develop arguments and criteria to determine priority projects and plans for environmental protection, conservation and restoration activities.
In which, preserving the natural landscape and existing biodiversity ecosystem is the most important part, followed by prioritizing the remediation and improvement of environmentally polluted areas, and finally orienting the development of economic and social activities based on conservation and environmental protection.
"Environmental protection planning is an extremely important tool to implement the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, and is the foundation for ministries, branches and localities to implement solutions for green economic transformation and green growth," said the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that "Planning demonstrates pioneering thinking, leading green development, investing in nature, creating smokeless industries, creating new values, and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy."
The Deputy Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the consulting unit to research, collect, develop and update data on nature reserves, biodiversity, etc.; the feasibility of building centralized waste treatment facilities while promoting the classification, treatment and recycling of waste at the source, etc.
Source
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs Government Conference with localities on economic growth](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/2/21/f34583484f2643a2a2b72168a0d64baa)
Comment (0)