Vietnam and Denmark key climate partners: COP28

PM Pham Minh Chinh and PM Mette Frederiksen

Meeting at COP28 in Dubai, both Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised the long and fruitful cooperation between the two countries, especially in the area of climate change and the energy transition.

On the occasion of Vietnam’s launch of its resource mobilisation plan for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), of which Denmark is a member alongside the G7 countries, the European Union, and Norway, PM Frederiksen congratulated PM Chinh and the government of Vietnam on the important step towards implementing the JETP.

"At this critical moment in Vietnam’s transition, Denmark and the International Partner Groups stand ready to support it to get on track to deliver on its ambitious net-zero 2050 goal. Denmark has more than 40 years of experience, and we have shown that the green transition can be a driver for jobs and green economic growth. We are committed to sharing our experience and know-how to support Vietnam’s just energy transition," PM Frederiksen said.

At COP28, Denmark announced a total of $50 million of support for the most climate-vulnerable countries. Half of the committed total will be allocated to the new loss and damage fund that was agreed to on the first day of COP28. Denmark will also launch the Alliance Group of Negative Emitters, aimed at initiating a race to the top among countries to determine ambitious mitigation goals.

Denmark is pushing for an agreement on a global phase out of fossil fuels and global targets for massively scaling up renewable energy and improving efficiency. In Vietnam, Denmark is supporting such ambitious targets through the Joint Energy Partnership Programme between the two countries.

Nicolai Prytz, Ambassador of Denmark in Vietnam stated, "The initiative, which has been running for 10 years, aims to provide Vietnamese government agencies with the tools and knowledge to develop policies and plans for the energy transition, as well as support their implementation. The recently launched Green Strategic Partnership has opened an even greater opportunity for Vietnam and Denmark to further strengthen our long-term cooperation on the green transition and low-carbon economy in various strategic sectors."

The results and experiences from the Joint Energy Partnership Programme between Vietnam and Denmark will also be shared at the Vietnamese Pavilion, where directors of the Global Cooperation of the Danish Energy Agency will deliver presentations on the Danish green transition and key learnings from the Energy Partnership with Vietnam, as well as how Denmark tracks emissions and those of the Vietnamese energy sector based on the Energy Outlook Report.

Both Vietnam and Denmark have set ambitious emission reduction targets. At COP26, prime minister Chinh made a commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which sent a clear signal to the world regarding Vietnam’s direction and determination towards low-carbon and sustainable development. Denmark aims to reduce its emissions by 70 per cent in 2030, 100 per cent by 2045, and 110 per cent – to become a net-negative emitter – by 2050.

Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, with a high dependence on fossil fuels and increasingly energy-hungry industries with strong export orientations. Being one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and increasingly faced with demands for green energy from foreign investors seeking to establish production in the nation, Vietnam is an important partner in the global fight against climate change.

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