Hanoi (VNA) - Localities nationwide should make drastic efforts to promote forest protection with a view to realising Vietnam’s commitment to cutting emissions to net zero by 2050, which was announced at the 26^th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26), according to꧟ Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh.

He made the statement at a conference to review the five-year implementation plan of Secretariat’s Directive No.13 on the Party’s leadership in the management, protection and development of forested areas in north central region. The event was held by the Economic Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Covering more than 51,400 square kilometres of land, with a forest coverage rate of 57.4%, the north central region holds a strategic position in the nation’s political and socioeconomic development, defense and security, Anh said.

Over the past five years, thanks to the localities’ concerted efforts, the region’s natural forests, ecosystem and bio-diversity have been well protected, while it has the highest level of forest coverage in the nation.

As the first region engaging in the Government’s piloted forest carbon credits programme, it has mobilised the whole political system to join efforts to manage, protect and develop fo♐rests.

Besides the attained achievements, Anh said that the region should work to improve the efficiency of the State management and protection of forest, remove bottlenecks in the management and use and transferring land of state-owned agriculture and forestry farms, as well as the migration issue. Additionally, provinces should devise rational mechanisms and policies to branch out the forest economy, improve forest environmental service fee scheme, and enhance sustainable development of forest environmental service. Provinces should also complete mechanisms and policies for the carbon exchange trade market in Vietnam. Furthermore, more efforts should be put in place to protect the existing forest land, particularly special-use forest, protection forest, and natural forest so as to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 as committed at COP 26, he said, adding advanced technologies play an important role in forest management, protection and development. At the conference, localities in the north central region delivered reports on their implementation of the Secretariat’s Directive No.13, as well as made recommendations on enhancing the Party’s leadership in forest management, protection and development.

Meanwhile, experts and scientists highlighted measures to sustainably develop forestry processing and export industries in the region, complete mechanisms and policies for carbon exchange trade market. 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued a plan for solutions to realise Vietnam commitment to cutting emissions to net zero by 2050 announced at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in the UK in 2021. The ministry will make amendments to legal documents, including contents concerning Vietnam’s commitments at COP26, reviewing and perfecting mechanisms, policies, and laws related to the implementation of commitments and international treaties in response to climate change. It will be also responsible for integrating climate change response into strategies and plans; reviewing and updating development strategies and master plans in line with the goals that Vietnam committed at COP26. Units under the ministry will focus on developing regulations guiding the implementation of the mechanism for exchanging and offsetting carbon credits as well as those on auction, transfer and exchange of GHG emission quotas. Regarding solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the ministry will carry out an assessment of mineral reserves serving the production of energy batteries, survey and assess the potential of offshore wind and solar energy for renewable development and test technology of coal gasification, among other environmental resources. Attention will also be paid to researching and piloting solutions to store carbon from major emission sources for a number of potential fields and studying solid waste disposal solutions for generating biomass power. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will also review and update the national plan on climate change adaptation in 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; and sketch out tasks for implementing the initiative “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”./.