HANOI, March 02, 2022 – Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry visited Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City last week to further U.S.-Vietnam engagement on climate and clean energy action. Secretary Kerry met with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, cabinet ministers, and other senior officials to discuss how the United States can support Vietnam in its transition to a clean energy economy. Secretary Kerry also met with Vietnamese experts working to combat climate change, private sector and educational leaders, and veterans.
Throughout his meetings, Secretary Kerry discussed with Vietnamese counterparts the urgency of accelerating national and global efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and to strengthen efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Both countries shared the view that the 2020s are a decisive decade for climate action, as affirmed at COP26, and intend to take rapid action to implement policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from across sectors, especially by significantly accelerating renewable energy deployment. Secretary Kerry welcomed Vietnam’s pledges to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to phase out coal consumption by 2040 and committed to supporting Vietnam to reach these goals.
Secretary Kerry applauded the Government of Vietnam’s approval of USAID’s new, up to $36 million flagship clean energy project, the Vietnam Low Emission Energy Program II (V-LEEP II), which was announced by Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to Vietnam in August 2021. V-LEEP II will work to accelerate Vietnam’s transition to a clean, secure, and market-driven energy system.
The two sides intend to enhance cooperation across a variety of areas, including:
- Revising Vietnam’s Power Development Plan-8 and Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contribution in 2022, in line with Vietnam’s net zero and coal phaseout goals;
- Accelerating renewable energy development, including by further exploring and realizing Vietnam’s offshore wind potential;
- Expanding and strengthening Vietnam’s transmission system, including through battery storage;
- Enhancing energy efficiency;
- Tackling methane emissions from oil and gas, waste, and agriculture;
- Reducing transportation emissions through electrification and other strategies;
- Eliminating deforestation, supporting nature-based solutions, and conserving biodiversity;
- Improving the policy and regulatory environment, including to accelerate overseas development assistance project approvals and mobilize climate finance; and
- Building resilience to the impacts of climate change, including by supporting Vietnam’s efforts in the Mekong Delta.