From warnings to action: Political will and systemic responsibility

On July 5, the Ministry convened a consultation meeting with relevant agencies to refine the draft action plan. While the meeting served a technical policy function, it also sent a clear political message: Vietnam is committed to protecting what many now consider a fundamental environmental right, “the right to clean air.”

Minister Do Duc Duy emphasized that air pollution control, particularly in major urban areas such as Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, is an urgent task for the entire political system, as Viet Nam enters a new stage of development aiming for double-digit economic growth. He called for immediate and responsible action from all ministries, sectors, and localities

For nearly two decades, Vietnam’s economy has grown at an average rate of close to 7%, making the country an important link in global supply chains. Yet along with these achievements come mounting environmental challenges, particularly worsening air pollution in major urban areas like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong. According to the Ministry’s Department of Environment, PM2.5 levels in many urban monitoring stations frequently exceed national standards, especially during the dry season. Emissions from transport, industry, construction, and open agricultural burning remain inadequately controlled, while rapid urbanization and weak infrastructure compound the pressure.

This reality calls for a national strategy that is long-term, multisectoral, and systematically coordinated—precisely what the current draft action plan aims to provide. At the meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy stressed: “We must act immediately, act correctly, and act responsibly, because today’s air quality determines tomorrow’s public health and sustainable development.”

Echoing this imperative, Minister Do Duc Duy cited instructions from General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during recent engagements with the Hanoi Party Committee and the Red River Delta Coordination Council. Their message: air quality protection must involve integrated, root-level solutions with clearly assigned responsibilities across sectors and localities. The action plan, therefore, is not merely a central directive, but a governance framework for provinces and cities to take ownership in line with Vietnam’s decentralization policy and the Government’s “six clears” principle—clear tasks, clear responsibilities, clear timelines, clear resources, clear outcomes, and clear accountability.

Measurable goals for urban air quality improvement

For the first time, a national plan on air pollution sets out clearly defined and quantifiable objectives in three major areas: (i) improving air quality in major urban areas, especially Hanoi; (ii) tightly controlling major emission sources including cement, thermal power, and transportation; and (iii) promoting green, livable urban environments. The plan also charts a pathway to transform urban development by integrating green infrastructure, public transit, and low-emission zones to reduce pressure on urban air quality.

Minister Do Duc Duy noted that the transition from a developing to a developed country often comes with the greatest environmental pressures, as emissions typically grow 1.5 times faster than GDP. Without timely and effective control measures, the cost of addressing the consequences later will be immense

However, Minister Do Duc Duy warned that numerical targets alone are insufficient unless tied to current baselines. “If our current PM2.5 annual average is 48 µg/m³, while the national standard is 25 µg/m³, then a 20% reduction by 2030 only brings us to around 38 µg/m³—still far from the safety threshold,” he noted. The Minister recommended setting phased targets: 38 µg/m³ by 2030, 30 µg/m³ by 2035, and ultimately 25 µg/m³.

Citing international experience, he pointed to Beijing—a city that once faced far worse pollution than Hanoi but has seen significant improvement through massive investment, transparent monitoring, and a decade of sustained policy action. For Vietnam, the lesson is clear: acting early, based on data and science, is the key to shortening the path to recovery and avoiding costly consequences.

Implementation mechanisms, priority interventions, and multi-level governance

The draft action plan does more than set improvement targets—it outlines nine solution clusters and 32 specific projects, spanning emissions inventories, regulatory reform, technological innovation, and enhanced public oversight. This comprehensive approach reflects broad input from experts, ministries, local authorities, and international partners.

Dr. Hoang Van Thuc, Director of the Environment Department, noted that the draft was developed rigorously and systematically, drawing on international experience and grounded in Viet Nam’s context

Among the priority areas is on-site emissions control in high-emission sectors such as cement, chemicals, thermal power, metallurgy, transport, and construction. Dr. Hoang Van Thuc, Director of the Department of Environment, emphasized the need to relocate or mandate technological upgrades for outdated industrial facilities in residential zones. Additionally, 100% of high-risk enterprises must be subject to mandatory emissions controls.

In transport, identified as the leading source of urban air pollution, the plan sets ambitious yet feasible targets. All vehicles in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be subject to emissions management, with a phased shift to clean energy. For buses, the goal is 100% conversion to green energy by 2030. Ho Chi Minh City has already taken the lead by supporting the transition of ride-hailing vehicles to electric power, a model now recommended for national replication.

On the institutional side, Minister Do Duc Duy reiterated the need for clear assignments of people, tasks, timelines, and funding, in line with the “six clears.” Central government will define policy frameworks, invest in monitoring systems, and build foundational data. Local authorities are responsible for implementation, inspection, and public accountability. This decentralized model empowers each locality to tailor actions to its realities, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to air pollution control.

Another highlight is the plan’s vision for green mobility and integrated urban development. Hanoi will pilot a “low-emission zone” model as a precursor to nationwide rollout. Green urban initiatives include building multi-layered green spaces, deploying misting systems to suppress dust, selecting tree species that absorb PM2.5, and installing sensors to track fine dust and radiation. Beyond environmental benefits, these efforts will enhance urban livability.

Crucially, the plan proposes establishing a national air pollution response center capable of activating real-time controls when AQI levels become hazardous, an institutional innovation inspired by cities like Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing. “We cannot allow the image of Hanoi blanketed in winter smog to repeat,” Minister Do Duc Duy stated. “Our goal is clear: by year-end, Hanoi’s air must be better than at the start of the year; next year, better than this year.”

Clean air as intergenerational commitment and strategic investment

Achieving that vision requires collaboration across the board, from government to businesses to everyday citizens. Several speakers at the meeting called for preferential financing to support green technology adoption, especially in high-emission industries like cement, steel, and thermal power. Investing in air filtration and dust control is not only about meeting environmental standards—it enhances global competitiveness in an era where “green standards” define access to export markets.

On the societal front, the draft plan underscores the importance of communication, education, and public awareness. Outreach campaigns must focus on science-based pollution alerts, promote green lifestyles, and encourage actions such as waste sorting, sustainable mobility, and ending crop residue burning. Each individual action, if sustained and scaled, can create the collective momentum to reshape urban airscapes.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh invited delegates to submit written comments to the drafting team of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, with a view to finalizing the draft Decision approving the national action plan before its submission to the Prime Minister for issuance

Clean air is more than an environmental goal, it is an investment in the future and a moral commitment across generations. Research by the World Bank and WHO shows that every dollar spent on air pollution control can save five to ten dollars in healthcare and economic losses. For an open economy like Vietnam’s, clean air is a sound economic strategy, reducing public spending while boosting productivity.

Moreover, clean air is a soft power asset that enhances national branding. Cities like Copenhagen, Paris, and Seoul demonstrate that a green, livable environment attracts foreign investment, global talent, and international tourists. With global supply chains shifting towards sustainability, ESG-driven capital on the rise, and eco-conscious consumers shaping markets, Vietnam has a “golden window” to reposition itself.

The human cost of inaction is stark: air pollution shortens the average Vietnamese lifespan by 1.5 to 2 years and claims tens of thousands of premature deaths annually. Vulnerable populations, children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions, bear the greatest burden. Improving air quality, therefore, is not only an environmental policy, it is a humanitarian and ethical promise to future generations.

From blueprint to reality: A call for unified, sustained action

To bring this vision to life, long-term, substantive engagement from all segments of society is imperative. The State must strengthen the legal framework, increase inspections, and apply strong sanctions against emissions violations. Local authorities must shift from passive responses to proactive planning, adapting action plans to their geographic and infrastructural realities. Enterprises must stop viewing clean technology and energy efficiency as “extra costs” and recognize them as strategic investments for global credibility and market access.

Most importantly, every citizen, from rural communities to urban centers, can be an “air quality champion” through everyday choices: not burning crop residues, replacing coal stoves, using public transit, planting trees, and sorting waste. When personal action becomes social norm, we lay the foundation for a green consumption–green production–green development society.

With its guiding philosophy of “prevention–control–improvement,” the draft 2025–2030 action plan presents clear timelines, measurable goals, and evidence-based solutions. Yet as Minister Do Duc Duy cautioned: “We cannot wait for miracles. Progress will only come when action is real, coordinated, consistent, and inclusive at every level, across every sector, and from every citizen.”

Vietnam now stands at a pivotal juncture to shape itself as a green development model, not through slogans, but by the quality of the air its people breathe each day. The 2025–2030 Air Quality Action Plan is more than a policy document, it is an intergenerational pledge, marking a turning point in Vietnam’s journey from “brown” growth to “green” transformation, from growth-at-any-cost to growth with responsibility. 

Minh Thao