NEW COOPERATION FOR JUST ENERGY TRANSITION IN VIETNAM

On the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), hosted in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6 – 18, the Vietnamese delegation engaged in dialogues and exchanges with other countries on climate change crisis in which energy transition has been the top priority around the world and in Viet Nam itself. 

On 8 November, Vietnam’s Environmental Minister Tran Hong Ha had a meeting with Mr. Simon Harford, CEO of The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and Mr. Andrew Steer, CEO of Bezos Earth Fund to discuss Viet Nam’s energy transition strategy and the upgrades to make a success of the potential cooperation between Viet Nam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the two international organizations.

During the discussion, Mr. Tran Hong Ha underscored that Vietnam needed to rapidly shift towards low-carbon sources of energy. This is also highlighted in every negotiation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Viet Nam and the G7. This JETP agreement would help to remove the technological barriers through cooperation in research, development, and technology transition. Besides, Vietnam has been building a roadmap of technology development at a cost suitable to living standards of most Vietnamese people. He believed that the advance of JEPT negotiation between South Africa and G7 would be a good example to GEAPP to support Viet Nam in this negotiation. 

Affirming to continue supporting Viet Nam in the future, Mr. Simon Harford shared that GEAPP, and its partners would propose to Viet Nam the most effective measures, technology expertise and technical tips to help the country to address JETP’s requirements, Also, GEAPP will deliver a methodology from shutting down of coal-fired power plant to forming the carbon credit market. In terms of financial resources, GEAPP and Bezos Earth would become sponsors to assure that the carbon market is braced by the JETP. However, this process demands efforts across several ministries and the government.  

After COP27, GEAPP will continue to collaborate with the Department of International Cooperation, Department of Climate change to draft the Cooperation Agreement that meets new requirements. This new alliance stands for just energy transition in Viet Nam and a sustainable development for Vietnamese people in the long term.