Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (Photo: VNA)

Many of the UK’s newspapers, including the Financial Times, the Guardian and the Independent, have reported Vietnam’s commitments to net zero by 2050 and to phase out coal power between 2030 and 2040.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-UK Network Paul Smith said Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s speech at COP26 was positive and well received. Smith pointed out that PM Chinh, in his speech, has laid out an achievable plan for Vietnam to reach net zero by 2050. It was a real commitment from a country predicted to be one of the top 20 economies by 2050, he said, adding if Vietnam does not start the plan now, by 2050, it could be a leading economy  and thus become a significant carbon emitter. 

William Young, an environmental security expert at the Council on Geostrategy, said Vietnam’s commitments at COP26 have opened people’s eyes around the world about the leadership Vietnam is achieving in its fight against climate change, as well as the opportunities in Vietnam for economic growth on this subject.