Vietnam strives to eliminate substances harmful to ozone layer
Vietnam has charted a roadmap to gradually eliminate Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from 2024 with the goal of reducing the basic consumption of these harmful substances to the ozone layer from 2024 to 2028, according to Tang The Cuong, Director General of the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has charted a roadmap to gradually eliminate Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from 2024 with the goal of reducing the basic consumption of these harmful substances to the ozone layer from 2024 to 2028, according to Tang The Cuong, Director General of the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The consumption will decline at a rate of 10% in 2029-2034, 30% in 2035-2039, 50% in 2040-2044 and 80% from 2045, he said, adding this issue has been included in the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and related documents.
According to Cuong, to realise the above-mentioned roadmap, his department has coordinated with the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and relevant agencies and experts to devise a plan for the management and elimination of HFCs in Vietnam phase I (known as KIP I).
Through surveying, collecting and analysing data, specialised management agencies have grasped the situation of HFC consumption in Vietnam and forecast growth trends. Their aim is to determine the necessary interventions in terms of mechanisms, investments and technical support to achieve the reduction of HFC consumption in line with international commitments.
🀅 Angela Armstrong, WB’s Programme Manager for the Montreal Protocol Implementation, said that Vietnam has made great efforts in stopping the use of ozone-depleting substances under the protocol.
However, she said, to gradually eliminate HFCs, it is necessary for agencies to combine many solutions in using energy efficiency, refrigeration equipment with low greenhouse effect and setting specific HFC levels to industries.
The official also underlined the need to adopt advanced technologies and policy interventions to ensure the country’s compliance with the roadmap.
▨ In January 1994, Vietnam became one of the first countries to ratify the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Vietnam has eliminated the consumption of CFC, Halon, and CTC since January 1, 2010 and completely stopped the use of HCFC-141b and Methyl Bromide since January 1, 2015, in line with the roadmap set in the protocol. As a result, the country fulfilled its obligation to eliminate 10% of the HCFC consumption. This rate will be raised to 35% in 2020-2025 period./.
Vietnamese and foreign scientists and experts gathered at a conference in Hanoi on April 28 to share information on current regulations relating to the control of fluorocarbons and to exchange experience in the management of the ozone-depleting substances.
Vietnam always joins efforts of the international community in controlling and wiping out the use of ozone depleting substances, a representative of the Ministry of Nature Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has affirmed.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
Illustrative image. (Photo: kinhtemoitruong.vn) 
