Tasks of protecting the environment and responding to climate change in Vietnam of the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Tasks of protecting the environment and responding to climate change in Vietnam of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Internet image) 

On November 16, 2023, the Minister of Industry and Trade issued Circular 24/2023/TT-BCT regulating the management and implementation of tasks using environmental protection funding sources of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

1. Environmental protection tasks in Vietnam of the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Environmental protection tasks to organize and implement legal regulations on environmental protection under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade include the following main contents:

- Develop and propose policies and legal regulations of the Industry and Trade sectors to deploy and implement strategies, plans, programs, projects, schemes, mechanisms, and policies on environmental protection, chaired by the Government, Prime Minister and competent authorities assigned to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Build, update, and maintain the information system and environmental database of the Industry and Trade sector; Develop a report on the implementation of environmental protection tasks by the Ministry of Industry and Trade; The inspection of the implementation of legal documents on environmental protection falls under the promulgation authority of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Develop and issue documents and manuals on waste management, waste auditing, environmental management, environmental incident response, and implementation of circular economy content according to the provisions of law in the industries and fields under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Implement environmental quality assessment program; investigate and evaluate the impact of waste sources; Develop environmental management solutions in energy centers and industrial clusters concentrating on types of industrial production with a high risk of causing environmental pollution.

- Investigate, survey, evaluate, and develop technical instructions for preventing and responding to environmental incidents caused by leaks and the dispersion of toxic chemicals in the industrial sector.

- Investigate, survey, evaluate, classify waste, and develop policies, regulations, technical standards, and technical guidance on the reuse, recycling, and use of waste as raw materials and materials for production, business, and service activities in industries and fields under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Investigate, survey, and evaluate persistent organic pollutants (abbreviated as POPs) used in industries; maintain an inventory of emissions of persistent organic pollutants released unintentionally from industries; Apply measures to minimize, replace, and reduce emissions, reuse, recycle waste, and protect the environment from POP substances and raw materials, fuels, materials, products, goods, and equipment containing POPs.

- Communication, training, dissemination of knowledge, and propaganda of laws to raise awareness about environmental protection; Organize and award environmental protection awards to organizations and individuals according to the provisions of the law; Promotion and information about environmentally friendly technologies, product markets, and environmental goods.

- International integration and international cooperation activities on environmental protection, including: signing and implementing international treaties and international agreements on environmental protection; and providing counterpart funds for international cooperation projects on environmental protection according to the provisions of law.

- Activities of the Steering Committee, Executive Board, and Standing Office on Environmental Protection are decided by competent authorities, and other activities related to environmental protection tasks are approved by the Minister of Industry and Trade.

- Perform other tasks assigned by competent authorities and the Minister of Industry and Trade (if any).

2. Tasks of responding to climate change of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Vietnam

Tasks to respond to climate change to organize and implement legal regulations on responding to climate change under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade include the following main contents:

- Develop and propose policies of the Industry and Trade sector to implement strategies, plans, programs, projects, schemes, mechanisms, policies, Laws on responding to climate change that are implemented by the Government, the Prime Minister, and competent authorities assigned to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Investigate, survey, compile operational data, inventory greenhouse gas emissions, evaluate the current status of greenhouse gas emissions at industry and facility levels, update and create a list of fields, establishments emitting greenhouse gases must inventory greenhouse gases; Develop a greenhouse gas inventory report at industry and field levels under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; Develop and update emission coefficients to serve the national greenhouse gas inventory in industries and fields under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Build and operate a system for measuring, reporting, and appraising greenhouse gas emission mitigation at industry, sector, and facility levels; Develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at field and industry levels. Develop reports on greenhouse gas emission mitigation results in sectors and industries managed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Build, update, and maintain information systems and databases on greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the Industry and Trade sector; Develop a report on the implementation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's task of responding to climate change and inspecting compliance with legal regulations on responding to climate change under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Develop, update, amend, and issue documents and manuals on greenhouse gas emissions inventory, guidance on measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation results, and guidance on participating in the domestic and international carbon credit market according to the provisions of law in industries and fields under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

- Communication, training, knowledge dissemination, and legal propaganda to raise awareness about responding to climate change; information about products, goods, and services that emit low greenhouse gas emissions, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and effectively adapt to climate change.

- Activities of the Steering Committee, Executive Board, and Standing Office to respond to climate change are decided by competent authorities; counterpart funds for international cooperation projects on responding to climate change (if any) and other activities related to the task of responding to climate change are approved by the Minister of Industry and Trade.

- Perform other tasks assigned by competent authorities and the Minister of Industry and Trade (if any).

More details can be found in Circular 24/2023/TT-BCT takes effect on January 5, 2024, and replaces Circular 23/2018/TT-BCT.

Ho Quoc Tuan

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