Market based solutions discussed to green Vietnam's aviation

By Lam Le   May 12, 2016 | 07:55 pm PT
As rapid growth of the aviation industry may jeopardize Viet Nam’s targets to reduce CO2 emissions, the country discussed solutions to green the sector at a workshop yesterday in Hanoi. 

UNDP has proposed to Vietnam to include green investment, carbon offset mechanism and green fees in the Draft Action Plan to Reduce CO2 Emissions in Civil Aviation in order for Vietnam to meet the global goal of carbon neutral growth in aviation by 2020.

The consultation workshop was attended by the Ministry of Transport, Viet Nam Aviation Authority, airlines, airport authorities, UNDP, International Air Transport Association (IATA), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Bakhodir Burkhanov, Deputy Country Director of UNDP in Viet Nam said "reducing CO2 emissions [in aviation] is directly related to reducing fuel use, a significant expense for all airlines." In addition, "energy efficiency of airport operations reduces long-term costs, stimulates technological innovation, and, as the evidence shows, improves customer satisfaction."

He also advocated for a "small green fee" to be levied on Vietnam's 35 million passengers a year. "These funds can help co-finance, for example, the conversion to electric vehicles in all airport operations across the country, the scale-up of energy efficient technology for airport heating and cooling, and the introduction of renewable energy to power the growing number of [new] airports," said Burkhanov.

ICAO expert David White presented the organization's guidance on State Action Plans to reduce CO2emissions in the aviation sector while Caesar Velarde, ICAO Senior aviation and environment expert, shared Indonesia’s experience and lessons learnt in Green Aviation.

Specifically, ICAO is set to introduce market-based measures under its global framework, including a carbon off-set mechanism

It will "stimulate new sources of finance to help Viet Nam achieve its CO2 reduction targets," said Burkhanov, by, for example, scaling up investment in sustainable forest management through carbon sequestration.

Christopher Abram, Director of the USAID’s Environment and Social Development Office in Viet Nam, echoed the proposed measures, saying "the ‘green aviation action plan’ is an opportunity to strengthen energy and fuel efficiency, to drive down costs, and maintain the health of this fast-growing sector.”

With year-on-year growth of 14 percent, Viet Nam’s civil aviation sector is one of the fastest growing in the world. The aviation sector has been a key driver of Viet Nam’s overall economic progress. But rapid growth of the industry puts in jeopardy the achievement of Viet Nam’s targets to reduce its national CO2 emissions.

The workshop was organized by the project management unit of "Strengthening Capacity and Institutional Reform for Green Growth and Sustainable Development in Viet Nam" project - a partnership between Ministry of Planning and Investment and UNDP. 

 
 
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