We only have one Earth and need to act before the climate changes

Chief executive of AFD Rémy Rioux speaking at the conference

On November 3 in Hanoi, the French Development Agency (AFD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union organised a conference themed “Youth and climate change: Challenges today and solutions for future,” on the occasion of the official visit of French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe to Vietnam between November 2 and 4, one month before the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“We have no plan B and Earth B, so we must act to prevent climate change,” confirmed French Minister of Public Action and Accounts Gérald Darmanin. That is why France always promotes and holds numerous events on climate change, such as COP 21 in Paris 2015.

Minister Darmanin emphasised the role of youth and said: “The decisions and actions of today’s youth will be a turning point in history, because you are the first generation who are educated and fully aware of climate change, as well as directly affected by climate change.”

Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, so young people need to proactively learn about the phenomenon and related solutions.

“France commits to actively support Vietnam's youth according to the joint statement made on the occasion of the General Secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong's official visit to France in March," added Darmanin.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang also emphasised the role of youth, which is a significant driving force behind the implementation of Vietnam's National Strategy on Climate Change and green growth programmes. Vietnam and France's representatives also confirmed that the deployment of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and raising the youth's awareness are key tasks of the bilateral co-operation.

The award ceremony for the contest on "Resilience"

Also in the framework of the conference, the winners of the contest on making infographic and video clips placing the term "Resilience" into a distinct Vietnamese context, which was launched by AFD and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in August, were announced.

The contest received nearly 390 entries of all kinds from young people and students nationwide. The contest has contributed to raising the Vietnamese youths’ awareness of the impact of environmental and social changes in Vietnam, thus calling for the community’s joint efforts to overcome environmental issues and promoting sustainable development.