Important Policy Platform on Climate Change
Support Programme to Respond to Climate Change (SP-RCC) was established in 2009 in order to complete the policy framework on climate change to mobilise sponsorships. According to Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Vice Minister, Trần Hồng Hà, the Programme has provided positive supports and become an important policy platform on climate change in the last 3 years. Climate change policies have undergone significant changes, which will be the basis for future phases.
Climate change policies were vague, and many ministries and departments were proposing overlapping policies 5 years ago. A simple depiction of climate change adaptation and minimisation has begun to materialise.
According to the assessments of Naoki Mori, a specialist from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the results of the SPRCC Programme include the composition of the policies and frameworks; the promotion of policy discussions and coordination; the identification of the sources for financial budget for the climate change projects; and the mobilisation of different resources.
The highlight of the policy framework of 2011 was the establishment of the policy matrix, which includes 10 compulsory policies that have been successfully accomplished by relevant ministries and departments.
Lê Văn Minh, Vice Coordinator of the SPRCC Programme, said the policy matrix has provided great supports for relevant ministries, departments, and sponsors. Such policies as the development of renewable energy and forestation, and the reduction of carbon emissions, have given Vietnam the opportunities to acquire new technologies.
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The Conference
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Other remarkable achievements include the Prime Minister’s approval for the National Strategy for Climate Change, and the establishment of the National Committee on Climate Change.
The efforts made to legislate the policies and complete the frameworks in Vietnam have reinforced the faith of the sponsors. In 2011, the Programme received a pledge for 260m USD from 6 sponsors.
The need for more specific policies
At this meeting, the representatives agreed that the ‘policy platform’ SPRCC must continue to advance its advantages, while including more specific and realistic policies, because the warm-up stages have passed by, and positive actions now need to be taken. Lê Văn Minh said that over 40 policies had also been discussed to be proposed 2012-2013.
Mr. Lê said that the upcoming policies must be of high priorities to ministries and departments, and also of high chance to succeed. Mr. Mori agreed with this opinion, and suggested stronger guidance and pledges regarding the composition of the policies among relevant ministries and departments in order to guarantee compatibility with the Strategy for Climate Change.
Lê Công Thành, Director of the National Centre for Hydro - Meteorological Forecasting and Climate Change, Chief Coordinator of the SPRCC Programme, concluded that the policies for future stages must have a longer-term outlook.