HANOI, Dec 3 (AFP): Vietnam has laid out a $15.5 billion dollar blueprint to transition away from coal power, but environmentalists warned Sunday the plan fell far short of what was needed.
The communist nation has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, supported by the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) programme, under which wealthier nations would help developing countries switch to clean energy faster.
On Friday Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced the multi-billion dollar Resource Mobilisation Plan (RMP) on the sidelines of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai.
"We commit to an open mechanism, good infrastructure, and smart management," he told delegates.
However, environmentalists told AFP that Vietnam's intention to use coal-fired plants until the end of their life operations, as well as shrinking civil society space, prompted concerns.
Vietnam's plan contained some "worrying" elements, chiefly the intention to use coal-fired plants "flexibly" rather than closing them early, said Leo Roberts, of environmental strategists EG3.
"What that means in practice is unclear, and is a slippery slope to using them extensively."
Vietnam lays out $15.5 billion energy transition plan
FE Team | Published: December 03, 2023 22:32:49
Vietnam lays out $15.5 billion energy transition plan
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