New Zealand to assist Viet Nam in promoting low-emission agriculture

During the COP30 Conference, Head of the Vietnamese delegation and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh held a bilateral meeting with Hon Simon Watts, New Zealand’s Minister for Climate Change.

The year 2025 signifies an important milestone as Viet Nam and New Zealand commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (June 19, 1975 – June 19, 2025) and formally elevate their partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in February. Under the enhanced framework, climate action and sustainable development have been recognized as fundamental pillars, establishing a solid basis for innovative, high-impact collaborations between the two nations.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Thanh underscored Viet Nam's strong commitment to the Memorandum of Arrangement (MOA) between Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and New Zealand's Ministry for Climate Change. This document will function as the foundation for translating climate cooperation objectives into tangible actions in accordance with the strategic priorities established by both nations.

Minister Watts reaffirmed New Zealand’s dedication to supporting Viet Nam in developing a high-productivity, low-emission agricultural model. This encompasses prospective collaboration on significant initiatives such as Viet Nam's one-million-hectare high-quality, low-emission rice project by 2030. He stated that New Zealand is prepared to assist Viet Nam in the development of its carbon market and is actively exploring opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the upcoming year.

From Viet Nam’s perspective, Deputy Minister Thanh observed that the Government is guiding ministries and agencies to establish a legal framework for climate-related sectors, including cooperative mechanisms pursuant to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Viet Nam is also conducting a demonstration program for its domestic carbon market. In this context, Viet Nam aims to develop training programs and facilitate expert exchanges, with particular emphasis on leveraging New Zealand’s technical teams, which possess extensive expertise in carbon market operations and emissions management.

He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is responsible for overseeing various sectors, including climate change, fisheries, and livestock. This presents opportunities for both countries to collaboratively develop new initiatives in areas such as equitable energy transition; ecosystem-based (EbA), nature-based (NbS), and community-based adaptation for deltas and coastal zones; low-emission agricultural development; and enhancing the participation of women and vulnerable groups in climate resilience.

New Zealand also shared its experience in developing climate adaptation frameworks to assist economic and social sectors in monitoring, adjusting, and implementing effective response strategies. Minister Watts emphasized New Zealand’s proactive participation in the global carbon market and expressed support for the strategic accord between the two nations.

Both parties concurred to broaden collaboration, especially in addressing climate change in conjunction with disaster prevention and risk mitigation. Deputy Minister Thanh observed that Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is accountable for both long-term climate adaptation and immediate disaster response, thereby providing significant opportunities for expanded collaboration. Minister Watts expressed unwavering support for Viet Nam's proposals and pledged to promote the development of coordination mechanisms in the near future.

For Viet Nam, New Zealand has been a long-standing development partner in agriculture, rural livelihoods, and biosecurity. Several joint projects implemented over the past 15 years have focused on plant protection, food safety systems, and livestock management. More recently, the partnership has expanded into climate mitigation, including support for digital tools that help farmers optimize fertilizer use and adopt low-emission practices in rice and livestock production.

The upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed in early 2025, opens new avenues for cooperation, particularly as both countries navigate rising climate risks. New Zealand has been scaling up its climate finance commitments, including through multilateral channels such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA), where Viet Nam is also an active member. These platforms offer Viet Nam opportunities to access technical assistance, research collaboration, and financial support for its national low-emission agriculture roadmap.

The timing is also favorable as Viet Nam accelerates the development of its domestic carbon market and prepares for international cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. New Zealand, which already operates a mature emissions trading scheme (NZ ETS), is among the countries most actively sharing lessons on carbon pricing, market integrity, and community engagement in climate policy.