VN-SIPA Phase II: Supporting Viet Nam’s pathway to Net-Zero by 2050

The VN-SIPA II project is being implemented during 2025–2029 and is financed through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), which is a key component of the German Government's international commitment to climate finance. The project was approved in February 2025, and based on this approval, the Steering Committee for the VN-SIPA II project was established in July 2025. The project aims to support Vietnamese authorities in carrying out tasks under the country’s national commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change, said that in recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) has closely coordinated with the provincial Departments of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri and Ha Tinh, units under the Ministry, as well as the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Finance, and the GIZ organization to implement many project activities. In 2025, VN-SIPA II achieved several notable results.

Highlights include support for scientific, technical, and practical research on emission reduction solutions, promotion of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) implementation, and assistance in integrating climate change adaptation into technical guidelines for the transport sector. The project also supported the assessment of NDC implementation in 2022, providing a basis for developing NDC Version 3.0 for the 2026–2035 period, while strengthening Viet Nam's capacity for climate change negotiations.

In addition, the project has supported the development of technical guidelines for greenhouse gas inventories for Quang Tri and Ha Tinh provinces. Notably, with support from the project, the MAE has developed and submitted to the Prime Minister for approval the pilot total greenhouse gas emission quotas for the 2025–2026 period.

In 2026, the project will enter an acceleration phase with broader-scale implementation. Therefore, this meeting holds particular significance in comprehensively reviewing achieved results while also considering and finalizing the 2026 implementation plan to ensure alignment with relevant project documents. Mr. Tuan underscored the importance of close coordination among focal agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities to ensure progress and effectiveness in project implementation, thereby contributing to Viet Nam’s overall efforts to adapt to climate change.

According to Ms. Michaela Baur, Country Director of GIZ Viet Nam, Viet Nam and other countries are currently developing, completing, and submitting NDC 3.0. The international community is discussing not only targets but also ways to translate commitments into concrete actions. Viet Nam has demonstrated a proactive and active role in building climate implementation frameworks while assigning specific responsibilities to local authorities for greenhouse gas emission reductions. Among international partners, Viet Nam is increasingly regarded as a reliable partner in fulfilling global climate commitments.

The target of achieving high double-digit economic growth also places demands on strong development while requiring the country to strictly fulfill its climate commitments. This represents a balancing problem but also an opportunity to transform the growth model. The VN-SIPA II project plays a key technical support role in helping Viet Nam develop and implement NDC 3.0 for the 2026–2035 period. GIZ hopes that the draft NDC 3.0 will not only reflect national priorities but also align with international standards and best practices. The project will focus on supporting Viet Nam throughout the formulation, planning, and implementation of the NDC, including the establishment of monitoring and evaluation systems for NDC implementation and strengthening greenhouse gas inventory capacity at the grassroots level. The systems will help translate targets into concrete actions that are measurable and transparently reportable.

At the meeting, representatives of project-implementing units from the MAE, the Ministry of Construction, Ha Tinh province, and Quang Tri province jointly discussed and made suggestions for the 2026 implementation plan. In particular, proposed activities focus on introducing new directions and supporting implementation activities for state management of climate change; supporting NDC implementation; supporting the assessment of greenhouse gas inventory implementation at the grassroots level, reviewing emission source lists and baselines to propose measures to strengthen implementation capacity; supporting MRV activities, emission quota allocation, and carbon market implementation; and preparing for COP 31 later this year.

The project will provide technical support for studies on integrating road transport emission reduction measures into sectoral technical guidelines; researching and proposing financial mechanisms to promote the greening of road freight transport; supporting the organization of an online forum on green transport; and contributing to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

In the context of Viet Nam's pursuit of high economic growth, it is imperative to continue integrating the target of net-zero emissions into development strategies, master plans, and plans toward sustainable green growth.

Receiving GIZ's comments, Deputy Director General Le Ngoc Tuan called on localities, particularly Quang Tri and Ha Tinh, to proactively propose initiatives and prepare to send representatives to COP31, thereby showcasing Viet Nam's local-level efforts in responding to climate change to the international community. This reflects Viet Nam's comprehensive approach that mobilizes diverse resources and strictly fulfills international commitments in the spirit of COP26.