Full speech of Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh at COP30

At 11:45 a.m. local time on November 18, 2025, in Brazil, Le Cong Thanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment and Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), delivered Viet Nam’s statement at the High-Level Segment of the Conference.

Viet Nam Agriculture and Nature News is honored to present the full text of his remarks:

On behalf of the Delegation of Viet Nam, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Brazil, as well as the city of Belem, for their hospitality and tireless efforts in hosting COP30.

Mr. President,

COP30 is taking place at a time when humanity is facing increasingly extreme and unpredictable climate change, which is inflicting grave and dangerous impacts on all nations.

To realize the goals set out in the Paris Agreement, we must achieve unity in both perception and action. We must uphold multilateralism and significantly strengthen solidarity and cooperation among all countries and peoples, guided by the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.”

In this spirit, Viet Nam would like to highlight the following key points:

First, developed countries, with their financial resources, scientific capacity, and technological strength, must fulfill their obligations and make more substantial commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Second, developed countries must deliver fully on their financial pledges by leading efforts to mobilize at least USD 300 billion per year and move toward a trajectory of USD 1.3 trillion annually to support developing nations. Specifically, urgent action is needed to rebalance financial resources for adaptation and mitigation, and to increase grant-based support and concessional loans substantially. Accordingly, adaptation finance must account for at least 50 percent of total climate finance provided to developing countries.

Third, the expansion and effective implementation of the “Early Warnings for All” initiative must be accelerated to protect lives and property from increasingly severe climate disasters.

Lastly, the role of the United Nations must be further strengthened in establishing and improving global governance mechanisms and fostering cooperation among countries to address non-traditional security challenges, including climate change.

As one of the developing countries most heavily affected by global climate change, Viet Nam has been serious and proactive in fulfilling its international commitments to adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction. We consistently pursue sustainable development that harmonizes economic growth, environmental protection, and climate resilience.

Viet Nam is continuously improving its legal and policy frameworks to create a coherent and unified regulatory foundation for adaptation, emissions reduction, and just energy transition. New mechanisms with breakthrough potential are being introduced to drive green transformation and progress toward carbon neutrality.

We are currently developing and piloting a domestic carbon market, as well as allocating emissions quotas for major emitters in thermal power, cement, and steel. Viet Nam is ready to consider cooperation with international partners under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, ensuring transparency and credibility.

Only with stronger cooperation and greater determination can we deliver comprehensive and equitable global climate action here in Belem.

Thank you!

COP30, hosted in Belém, Brazil, marks a critical phase in global climate governance as countries approach the 2030 deadline for meeting the Paris Agreement targets. One of the most closely watched issues at this year’s conference is the progress on carbon markets and the implementation of Article 6, which is the section of the Paris Agreement that governs international cooperation through carbon-credit trading.

Negotiations at COP30 are focused on finalizing the remaining technical rules that govern transparency, accounting, environmental safeguards, and avoidance of double counting, issues that have slowed implementation since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015. A key debate involves setting strict methodologies to ensure that carbon credits represent real, additional, and permanent emissions reductions. Many countries and civil-society groups are calling for stronger guardrails to prevent greenwashing, while some developing nations are concerned that overly complex rules could restrict access to much-needed climate finance.