Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Đặng Quốc Khánh, delivered a speech at the closing session of the P4G Summit in 2023.

The conference is an important event where world leaders, policy makers from various countries, international organizations, financial institutions, investors, and global businesses come together to discuss solutions to promote the green transition process towards the goal of building a fair society, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The conference has the participation of representatives from the 12 member countries of P4G, as well as invited guests and leaders of international organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Energy Agency (IEA), and others. This year's conference focuses on discussions related to fair energy transition, finance, climate, biodiversity, and sustainable urban development.

In her opening speech at the conference, Ms. Robyn McGuckin, CEO of P4G, stated that the world needs 4-5 trillion USD annually to address climate change. Government financial investments alone are insufficient, so the involvement of the business sector is necessary to propose technological solutions, create jobs, and contribute financially to the transition process. With 75 very successful partnerships in recent years, P4G has played a role in promoting private sector involvement in investment for the transition and addressing the climate crisis.

The sponsoring countries of P4G, including Denmark, South Korea, and the Netherlands, have emphasized the urgent need to take action against the serious impacts of climate change. They are further promoting public-private partnerships where the private sector plays a pivotal role in contributing technological solutions, innovation, and financing for the green transition, while ensuring development, economic growth, and addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Denmark has pledged to contribute 30 million USD to P4G, and the Netherlands has committed to providing 10 million USD in the next phase.

On behalf of the Government of Vietnam, Minister Đặng Quốc Khánh proposed six priority areas for cooperation at the P4G Summit when Vietnam hosts the summit in 2025. Specifically, these priorities are: Ensuring food security linked to poverty reduction and hunger eradication; managing, exploiting, and using transboundary water resources sustainably; establishing and operating early warning systems, monitoring climate change activities; promoting Netzero finance and fair energy transition; developing low-carbon smart agriculture; advancing the circular economy of plastics to implement the Global Plastics Pollution Agreement.

At the closing session, Minister Đặng Quốc Khánh emphasized that this year's conference takes place at a crucial moment when the world is halfway through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and it occurs during a dual crisis caused by climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss, which presents numerous challenges to achieving sustainable development goals in the remaining part of the journey.

The Minister commended the in-depth and passionate discussions by the delegates on biodiversity, energy transition, and sustainable urban development. He also expressed confidence that the outcomes of the conference would drive innovative climate solutions and raise awareness among leaders and businesses regarding P4G's priority areas of transformation, which are food, water, and energy.

The Summit has become an essential platform for leaders, policymakers from various countries, international organizations, financial institutions, investors, and global businesses to come together and seek solutions for the transition to green growth, aiming for a more equitable society, a carbon-neutral economy, and enhanced resilience to the impacts of climate change.

As a co-founder of P4G and a member of the Global Green Growth Forum (3GF), the predecessor of P4G, Vietnam has consistently played an active and responsible role, closely collaborating with other members to promote the agenda, vision, and mission of the forum to become a unique global public-private partnership platform with the goal of realizing global objectives for sustainable development, green transformation, and climate change adaptation.

Minister Đặng Quốc Khánh took commemorative photos with the delegates at the P4G Conference.

With the desire to contribute even more to the forum, Vietnam has proposed to host the P4G Summit in 2025 and has received the support of participating P4G nations.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Government of Vietnam, the Minister sincerely appreciates Colombia and the P4G partner countries for their trust and for providing the opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its responsibility and contribute more to the forum. He also reaffirms Vietnam's commitment to making the utmost effort to successfully fulfill this important role. The Minister hopes that Colombia and P4G partner countries will share their experiences and support Vietnam in the preparation process for assuming the role of the P4G Chair.

The Minister also informed the conference about Vietnam's efforts in promoting green growth, circular economic development, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. He emphasized that the green transition process should be balanced, fair, harmonious, and rational, with a focus on people, contributing to a peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous future world. The key focus of this process is to enhance the legal framework for green growth, digital transformation, and accelerate the energy transition.

Following COP26, with a strong determination to take action, Vietnam has issued various plans to swiftly implement its commitments. These specific plans include: The implementation plan for climate commitments; the national strategy for climate change; the national action plan for green growth; the methane emission reduction action plan; the green energy transition and carbon and methane emission reduction program for the transport sector; the sustainable forestry development program; the national plan to implement the Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use.

As one of the three pioneering developing countries in the world to participate in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Vietnam, along with its international partners, has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop renewable energy to replace coal-fired power plants.

During the conference, Minister Đặng Quốc Khánh had bilateral meetings with Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Robyn McGuckin, CEO of P4G. WRI and P4G affirmed their commitment to working closely with Vietnam to develop plans for organizing the P4G Summit in 2025.

Robyn McGuckin, CEO of P4G, has expressed her appreciation for Vietnam's commitment to hosting the P4G Summit in 2025. She also proposed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between P4G and Vietnam for cooperation in organizing the summit. This MOU would serve as the basis for P4G and its partner countries to carry out collaborative activities and support Vietnam in various ways, including suggesting discussion topics and providing financial contributions. This collaborative effort demonstrates the international community's support for Vietnam's role in promoting sustainable development and green growth.

Minister Đặng Quốc Khánh affirmed that Vietnam will collaborate closely with WRI and P4G in all stages, from planning to content and program development, in preparation for the P4G Summit in 2025. Vietnam's aspiration is for the summit to be more than just a forum to promote public-private partnerships. It should also serve as a platform for countries to cooperate in shaping and implementing frameworks and policies to drive green transformation and sustainable growth.

The Minister expressed his hope that WRI and P4G would work together with Vietnam to prepare meticulously for the organization of the summit, attracting the high-level participation of P4G member country leaders, partner nations, international organizations, financial institutions, and businesses. This collaborative effort is aimed at making the P4G Summit a successful event that contributes to the global collective effort in addressing climate change and environmental pollution challenges.

During the bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference, Ole Thonke, Deputy Minister of Development Cooperation of Denmark; Hyoeun Jenny Kim, Deputy Minister and Ambassador for Climate Change of South Korea; and Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute, emphasized their commitment to collaborate and support Vietnam in successfully hosting the P4G Summit in 2025. This support from South Korea, Denmark, and the World Resources Institute is a positive sign of international cooperation to make the summit a success.

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