Five targets made for environmental protection law

Amending the Law on Environmental Protection clarified five targets

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) is amending and supplementing several articles of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, after more than four years.

The most important strategy is on substantive administrative procedure reform and encouraging decentralisation and delegation of power to localities.

Administrative procedures are expected to be simplified, such as environmental criteria in investment project classification, environmental impact assessment procedures, and environmental permit issuance, to minimise compliance costs for businesses. However, the easing of procedures will be accompanied by a strict post-inspection and monitoring mechanism and a clear delineation of responsibilities at each level and in each sector, encompassing three core elements: tools, personnel, and processes.

The second strategy is to innovate thinking about waste, shifting from "waste treatment" to viewing waste as a "resource," creating a legal framework for the development of the environmental industry and circular economy.

The new version aims to be a pioneer in digital transformation, building a synchronised, public, and transparent environmental data ecosystem; serving management agencies, citizens, and business.

The fourth strategy is to shift from "passive remediation" to "proactive prevention", enhancing forecasting and early warning capabilities, and strictly controlling emission sources at their origin.

The fifth strategy is to operate economic tools effectively. The new version will help to perfect market mechanisms, especially the carbon market, transforming environmental protection and climate change adaptation into economic drivers.

“The draft law enhances the effectiveness of the policies of the 2020 Environmental Protection Law, such as applying environmental criteria in classifying investment projects to flexibly manage them according to environmental risk; managing waste in a way that enhances recycling, promoting a green economy and circular economy; and protecting environmental components via plans for managing surface water and air quality,” Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh said.

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