Hue cuts emissions, building a green city

Green transformation across multiple sectors

In recent years, Hue City has implemented numerous programs and projects to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to preserve its cultural and historical values while pursuing sustainable economic development.

Visitors to the former imperial capital today won't have to look far to find public bike-sharing stations placed along many streets, in parks, and at heritage sites. Residents and tourists alike can experience this green, environmentally friendly transportation model - one of the hallmarks of the green transformation Hue City has been steadily pursuing.

According to the Hue City Department of Construction, the city currently has 17 Hue Smart Bike public bike-sharing stations with 147 bicycles, and 31 GCOO power-assisted public bike stations with 283 vehicles (with an additional 40 bikes at the Hue Imperial Citadel). The city also has more than 600 electric taxis in operation and over 200 charging stations.

Cung Trong Cuong, Director of the Hue City Development Research Institute, said that developing green transportation and public transit systems, such as public bicycles and electric bikes, alongside encouraging residents to use environmentally friendly vehicles, will help build a green, sustainable city. He called it a fitting solution given the rising density of personal vehicles in the city center.

"A smart urban model combined with green mobility not only delivers tangible economic benefits but also eases traffic pressure, cuts transportation costs, reduces CO2 emissions, and raises environmental awareness within the community," Cuong said.

In tourism, Hue City has also pioneered numerous green development models, establishing tours and community tourism sites that reduce plastic use and limit plastic-based transportation. Many accommodations, restaurants, and tourism businesses are gradually adopting "green tourism" standards, reducing single-use plastic waste, using energy more efficiently, and strengthening environmental protection efforts. These measures not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also strengthen Hue's image as a green, welcoming, and appealing destination for domestic and international visitors.

Hue City has now brought 16 power plants online (including solar and waste-to-energy facilities) along with more than 500 rooftop solar systems, for a combined capacity of 601 megawatts. Annual electricity output from the city's hydropower, solar, and waste-to-energy plants averages around 1.8 to 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 with a capacity of 12 megawatts, generating approximately 93 million kWh per year and playing a key role in the shift to clean energy.

Hue City aims to cut total citywide energy consumption by 8 to 10 percent by 2030, and to reach more than 10,000 hectares of low-emission crop production by 2035.

The city is working toward collecting and treating 100 percent of household solid waste and is rolling out source-based waste sorting. In addition, the "Green Sunday" movement is being implemented effectively, drawing participation from the entire political system and all segments of the population.

The city has also issued a Climate Change Response Action Plan for 2021–2030 with a vision to 2050, implementing the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for 2021–2030 with a vision to 2050 and the National Climate Change Strategy through 2050 at the local level, as well as carrying out Vietnam's updated 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Notably, the city has prioritized implementing regulations to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and conducting greenhouse gas inventories across the energy, transportation, construction, and waste sectors, in support of the Paris Agreement and the path toward net-zero emissions.

Sustainable development

Hoang Hai Minh, Standing Vice Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee, said the world is facing complex and unpredictable climate change, making net-zero emissions a top global priority. Vietnam affirmed its commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26). To turn this commitment into reality, Minh said, every locality,  Hue City included, must have a concrete strategy and take decisive action.

According to Minh, achieving net zero by 2050 will require coordinated participation from the entire political system, businesses, and residents. The city will complete its planning and policy framework in line with net-zero goals, and study the introduction of a pilot low-emission zone scheme, including peak-hour restrictions on older motorbikes and diesel vehicles, priority access for electric vehicles and clean buses, emission fee mechanisms, social support measures (preferential loans, tax and fee incentives), and infrastructure investment (charging stations, bike lanes, and green parking areas).

The city will mobilize resources to implement climate adaptation and emissions-reduction measures and solutions, and to participate in carbon credit exchanges and offset programs, based on the potential and strengths of specific sectors and areas under its management. Residents — particularly young people — will be encouraged to take part in climate initiatives and green economic models.

At the same time, Hue will strengthen institutionalization and decentralize climate change response duties down to the ward and commune level. The city will also mobilize international resources through climate funds, focusing on public-private partnerships (PPPs) for charging stations, green parking areas, and recycling plants, alongside continued cooperation with organizations such as FES, GIZ, and UNDP, and the design of green investment mechanisms within industrial zones.

"The net-zero goal is a driving force for Hue to improve residents' quality of life and preserve the value of this heritage city in a modern, sustainable direction. This is a path that demands sustained, long-term effort. The city is committed to persistently building a green, smart, and sustainable heritage city, contributing to the nation's shared goals and gradually becoming one of the country's leading cities in green, sustainable transformation," Minh said.