Hue aims for Net Zero: [5] Building a green and sustainable city

Regarding this topic, reporter from the Vietnam Agriculture and Nature Newspaper spoke with Mr. Hoang Hai Minh, Vice Chairman of the Hue City People’s Committee.

Sir, what concrete actions and approaches has Hue City taken as it works toward the Net Zero goal and aligns with the Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050?

The world is facing increasingly complex and unpredictable climate change, threatening the lives of millions. In this context, Net Zero, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, has become a global priority. At COP26, Vietnam affirmed its target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. To realize this commitment, each locality must craft clear strategies and take decisive action. As a heritage city and one of the country’s leading cultural and tourism hubs, Hue must take the lead in the green transition, climate change response, and greenhouse-gas emissions reduction, balancing the preservation of its historical values with sustainable economic development.

Hue City is simultaneously driving emissions-reduction efforts across multiple sectors, focusing on five key pillars: green transport; renewable energy and energy efficiency; waste management and the circular economy; low-emission agriculture; and forestry/forest protection.

Specifically, the city has issued its Climate Change Response Action Plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050; implemented the National Adaptation Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, and the National Climate Change Strategy to 2050 in a manner suited to the local context; and carried out the updated 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In particular, the city has prioritized the enforcement of regulations on greenhouse-gas mitigation and the conduct of GHG inventories in the sectors of energy, transport, construction, and waste, thereby contributing to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and progress toward the Net Zero target.

Hue currently operates 16 power plants, including solar power and waste-to-energy facilities, and more than 500 rooftop solar systems, with a total installed capacity of 601 MW. The combined annual electricity output from hydropower, solar, and waste-to-energy plants averages around 1.8-2 billion kWh. Notably, the Phu Son waste-to-energy plant, inaugurated in April 2024, can process up to 600 tons of waste per day and has a capacity of 12 MW, generating approximately 93 million kWh each year, playing a key role in driving the clean energy transition.

In recent years, the agriculture and environment sectors have been restructuring toward higher added value, green and sustainable development, gradually addressing production practices that cause environmental pollution and improving disease prevention and control. Numerous programs and plans have been implemented, including the Action Plan for the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; the Implementation Plan for the Crop Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050; and the Scheme on Developing Organic Agriculture and the Circular Economy along value chains for 2024-2030.

The city has also focused on expanding mechanization in the collection and transport of rice straw for use as livestock feed, mushroom cultivation material, and organic composting. Mechanization has helped reduce open-field burning of rice straw, thereby lowering CO₂ and toxic emissions, while improving soil fertility and stabilizing the agricultural ecosystem. Various agricultural extension models have been introduced to suit local production conditions and community needs, such as the “Three Reductions, Three Gains” rice model, integrated ecological aquaculture in mangrove forests, and livestock production using agricultural by-products.

Forestry also plays an important role in the Net Zero strategy. The city maintains a forest-cover rate of over 57%, restores upstream and coastal forests, and is piloting a forest carbon-credit mechanism for 2027-2030 in connection with sustainable forest management and community livelihoods. Notably, Hue’s participation, as one of the provinces and cities in the North Central region, in the pilot Emission Reductions Payment Agreement (ERPA) marks an important step forward in testing a financial mechanism for transferring CO₂ emission-reduction outcomes, helping mobilize international resources for forest protection.

For green transport, in addition to the important initial results achieved, Hue is considering piloting a Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in the heritage core area (Dai Noi - Le Loi - Truong Tien Bridge - the walking street), as well as electrifying urban logistics.

The city is also working toward collecting and treating 100% of municipal solid waste, raising the urban wastewater treatment rate to over 60%, implementing waste separation at source, developing green waste logistics using electric vehicles, expanding recycling capacity, and promoting circular models in tourism and services. In addition, the “Green Sunday” movement has been highly effective, with strong participation from the entire political system and local communities, contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development.

For a heritage city like Hue, what do you see as the fundamental issues to achieving the Net Zero target?

In my view, achieving Net Zero will require the city to carry out a wide range of action programs in the coming years.

We need to answer major questions such as: How can a low-emission zone be implemented effectively while respecting the unique characteristics of a heritage urban area? What mechanisms can mobilize domestic, social, and international resources for renewable energy and green infrastructure? How can circular-economy solutions become standard practice in waste management and production-to-consumption systems? How can agriculture and forestry both reduce emissions and enhance livelihoods? How will the roles of international cooperation, the private sector, and local communities be promoted in this process? And what legal and regulatory framework is needed to ensure these measures are implemented in line with strategy?

So, what are Hue City’s orientations in the coming period for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and advancing sustainable development toward the Net Zero goal?

To achieve Net Zero by 2050, Hue will need the concerted participation of the entire political system, the business community, and the public. The city is committed to steadily building Hue into a green, smart, and sustainable heritage city, contributing to the country’s overall objectives.

The city will refine its planning and policy framework in alignment with the Net Zero target. It is studying the development of a pilot LEZ scheme to be issued in 2026, which would include peak-hour restrictions for old motorbikes and diesel vehicles; priority measures for electric vehicles and clean buses; an emissions-fee mechanism; social support (preferential loans, tax and fee incentives); and investments in infrastructure such as charging stations, bicycle lanes, and green parking facilities.

The city is also promoting the “green tourism - circular tourism” model across tourist sites, hotels, and heritage areas. It will begin mandatory waste separation at source in 2026, expand recycling and waste-to-energy capacity, and adopt green procurement for public agencies. Rooftop solar and energy-storage systems will be scaled up. The city is developing a forest carbon-credit project that includes mangrove forests in the lagoon area and establishing a city-level MRV system for emissions.

Hue will also advance emission reductions in the transport sector and cut greenhouse-gas emissions in building-materials production, urban development, and green construction. It will protect, restore, and develop natural resources and ecosystems, including marine ecosystems, while safeguarding and sustainably managing water-source ecosystems and critical wetlands.

The city will mobilize resources to implement climate-change adaptation tasks, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and participate in programs and projects under carbon-credit exchange and offset mechanisms, leveraging the strengths and potential of each sector and locality. Local communities, especially young people, will be encouraged to join climate initiatives and green-economy models.

On the other hand, the city will strengthen institutionalization and devolve climate-change response responsibilities down to the ward and commune levels. At the same time, it will mobilize international resources through climate funds, with a focus on public–private partnerships (PPPs) for charging stations, green parking facilities, and recycling plants, along with support from organizations such as FES, GIZ, and UNDP. The city will also design green-investment mechanisms for industrial zones.

It can be said that the Net Zero goal is not only a commitment but also a driving force for Hue to improve the quality of life for its residents and preserve the values of a heritage city in a modern, sustainable way. This is a long-term journey, but we believe Hue will become one of the country’s leading cities in the green and sustainable transition.

Thank you, sir !

I believe Hue has many favorable conditions for achieving the Net Zero goal.

First, with a population density that is not too high, Hue is well positioned to pilot models such as green transport, waste separation at source, and sustainable drainage and energy infrastructure. Second, Hue possesses a rich natural ecosystem, from the Tam Giang - Cau Hai lagoon system and Lang Co lagoon to the Huong and Bo rivers, upstream forests, and the coastline. These are “natural carbon sinks” that give the city strong capacity for natural carbon absorption if managed properly through ecological restoration, coastal reforestation, and lagoon conservation. Third, Hue has a distinctive socio-cultural foundation: its people are accustomed to a modest, nature-friendly lifestyle and have a strong sense of environmental protection.

These factors enable Hue to become one of the leading localities in the country on the Net Zero pathway. This effort not only helps protect the environment but also opens a new development direction for Hue - as a climate-resilient, green-growth heritage city.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Cong Tin - Head of the Faculty of Environment, University of Sciences (Hue University).