In his remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh stated that on July 8, 2024, the Prime Minister approved the National Environmental Protection Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, under Decision No. 611/QD-TTg.
To address environmental protection in a rapidly changing domestic and international context, the planning emphasises principles such as not sacrificing quality for economic growth, respecting natural laws, and fostering green, circular, and low-carbon economies to minimise waste generation and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It also underscores proactive, flexible, and preventive measures to control, address, and improve environmental quality while protecting environmentally sensitive areas to mitigate ecological and public health impacts.
The planning sets forth general goals to prevent and control environmental pollution and degradation, restore and enhance environmental quality, and halt biodiversity loss, ensuring the people’s right to a clean environment.
Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh noted that to achieve these goals, the primary tasks include reducing environmental impact from socio-economic activities, improving the management of solid, industrial, and hazardous waste, managing and enhancing environmental quality, conserving nature and biodiversity, and promoting sustainable growth models.
It also presents implementation solutions, such as enhancing awareness and advocacy for environmental protection, improving policies and regulations, administrative reform, strengthening policy enforcement and finance, advancing technology and innovation, digital transformation, and boosting international cooperation on environmental protection.
According to Nguyen Thuong Hien, Deputy Director of the Environment Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the planning sets specific targets across four main areas, including Environmental Zoning, Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, Centralised Waste Treatment Zones, and Environmental Monitoring and Warning Network.
