Will issue a set of criteria on green classification and green economic sector system

The above information was shared by Mr. Le Viet Anh, Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment (Ministry of Planning and Investment) in a recent press conference about some results in Vietnam's green transformation as well as the Government's orientation in green transformation.

Issue a green criteria system for each specific industry and field.

He said that the mechanisms, policies and legal foundation for green growth are relatively complete, namely the National Strategy on Green Growth and the National Action Plan on Green Growth issued by the Prime Minister.

On that basis, ministries, branches and localities have proactively followed up to issue their own action plans, in their own branches and in their own localities. “Up to now, most ministries, branches and localities have issued action plans related to green growth, and at the same time paid great attention to directing, supervising and urging the implementation of green growth solutions,” Mr. Le Viet Anh informed.

Regarding the national framework, as the focal agency and standing agency assisting the National Steering Committee on Green Growth, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has identified three key contents that the Government, ministries, branches and central agencies need to focus on implementing in the coming time.

First, continue to perfect the legal framework for green growth, of which the most important is to issue a set of criteria for green classification and a system of green economic sectors. This is especially important for a country with an orientation towards green growth.

“We must define what is green in order to issue targeted policies. If we cannot define which behaviors, activities, and economic sectors are considered green, then all the mechanisms and policies designed will not have a clear legal framework for application,” Mr. Le Viet Anh stated.

The Vietnamese Government has issued the National Green Growth Strategy and the National Action Plan on Green Growth. (Illustration photo)

The Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment said that the Ministry of Planning and Investment has submitted to the Prime Minister a proposal to allow the construction of a green economic sector system in the form of legal documents while previous regulations and decisions related to green growth were mainly only guidelines and not binding.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Planning and Investment determined that the green economic sector system and green classification criteria must be developed in the form of legal regulations to ensure application to the entire economy and sectors. This green economic sector system is built on the basis of clear reference to the green guidelines of the European Union, ASEAN, Singapore or China, closely following international green standards.

“Europe has adopted rules on cross-border carbon management, which have general value and we are forced to comply if our goods want to enter the European Union,” said Mr. Le Viet Anh, emphasizing that Vietnam's green standards must meet international standards and be suitable to the characteristics and circumstances of the country.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has developed this direction and submitted the draft to the Prime Minister for consideration and comments. This is also a content that the Prime Minister is very interested in and wishes that the green economic sector system will be issued soon. Mr. Le Viet Anh said that the Ministry will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors and agencies to soon complete this green economic sector system and issue a green criteria system for each specific sector and field.

Issue specific incentive mechanisms for green projects

Regarding the second key content, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has proposed that the Prime Minister allow research to issue specific incentive mechanisms for green projects, along with proposals for green pilot projects.

According to Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment Le Viet Anh, this is extremely necessary because while there is no common policy framework on green growth, we need to temporarily implement it in the direction of having pilots to conduct assessments and draw lessons.

Currently, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has also compiled a preliminary list of projects proposed by ministries, branches, localities and investors. In addition, the Ministry has also researched to propose a number of specific mechanisms and policies, including the form of proposing certain subsidies for pilot projects to help projects overcome administrative and capital barriers to be able to implement.

Mr. Le Viet Anh said that the Ministry of Planning and Investment has proposed the Prime Minister to allow research to issue specific incentive mechanisms for green projects, along with proposals for green pilot projects.

“Based on summarizing these pilot projects, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will continue to recommend and replicate effectively applied policies. This process requires serious supervision and monitoring by relevant agencies in the pilot projects,” said Mr. Le Viet Anh.

Another content he emphasized was the propaganda and raising awareness of green growth for the entire society, for the entire political system as well as the entire population. Accordingly, one of the important goals of green growth is to green lifestyles and sustainable consumption. Every action of individuals and organizations must be green, and must be as limited as possible in causing greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Le Viet Anh affirmed that as the standing agency and focal point of the National Steering Committee on Green Growth, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will continue to coordinate with ministries and branches to deploy specific instructions, monitor, urge, evaluate, summarize, and replicate good models and good practices in implementing green lifestyles and sustainable consumption.

The Ministry will also propose to the Government to have subsidy mechanisms for green-oriented goods and services. At the same time, it will coordinate and support ministries, sectors and localities in implementing their activities, ensuring that green growth activities are consistent with the national framework.

“Economic sectors have conflicts of interest, one sector with another, if there is no specific coordination of a general advisory body, it is easy for policies to go in opposite directions,” said the Director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment, emphasizing that the Ministry of Planning and Investment will urge and supervise so that the actions, policies and mechanisms on green growth of ministries and sectors will go in the same direction, ensuring that green growth is the orientation of the whole country.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/se-ban-hanh-bo-tieu-chi-ve-phan-loai-xanh-va-he-thong-nganh-kinh-te-xanh-post816201.html