CAN THO - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Pham Binh Minh has called for closer cooperation among members of
the ASEAN-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in responding to climate change.
At an ASEM conference, titled “ASEM
Conference on Climate Action to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
- Ways Forward,” held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on June 19,
Deputy PM Minh stated ASEM should reach a common understanding with
cooperative actions in responding to climate change to ensure sustainable
development, particularly through links to various initiatives and
cooperation projects on water management, disaster risk reduction, energy,
food safety, gender equality and poverty alleviation.
The deputy PM encouraged the promotion of
multistakeholder partnerships for climate action, underscoring the
importance of establishing a network of information sharing between
policymakers, parliamentarians, research institutes, scholars, enterprises
and localities in this field.
ASEM members should also enhance
corporate social responsibility initiatives, public-private partnerships
and the use and transfer of green, clean technology, he said.
In addition, developed members of the
ASEM should provide financial support to developing members that are
vulnerable to climate change, he continued.
With strong financial capacity as well as
advanced and low-emission technology, developed ASEM members could provide
access to financing, offer technology transfers and make smart investments
in clean, renewable and environmentally friendly energy, raising the
capacity for climate response to move toward green and low-emission growth.
Deputy PM Minh pointed out that Vietnam
had proposed establishing a global mechanism for the reduction of plastic
litter in oceans at the recent expanded G7 Summit in Canada. The proposal
has generated support from the G7 Outreach countries.
It is imperative to redouble global
efforts in addressing challenges endangering the maritime ecosystem and the
oceans’ health, he noted.
Further, he expressed Vietnam’s deep
appreciation for the cooperation and assistance programs on financing and
technology transfers that many ASEM members have extended to Vietnam. These
programs have effectively assisted Vietnam with sustainable water resource
management, enhanced climate change monitoring and adaptation capacity and
produced a response to the sea level rise and widespread saline intrusion
in the Lower Mekong River Basin, thus improving Vietnam's capacity to
contribute to the joint initiatives of the international community.
Deputy PM Minh also mentioned recent mega
disasters and extreme weather conditions, notably the historic floods in
India, South Asia, last year; extreme cold snaps in Europe and China; and
the heat wave on record in Australia early this year.
He told the conference that Vietnam is
among the top five countries worst hit by climate change and the sea level
rise. The Mekong Delta, the nation's key agriculture production center, is
one of the world’s three floodplains most vulnerable to a rise in sea
level.
In the Mekong Delta, 2016 saw a record
drought and worse saline intrusion than any seen in the last 100 years,
causing an adverse impact on the livelihoods of millions of people.
If solutions to these challenges cannot
be found, the achievements of humankind will be held back, Deputy PM Minh
remarked.
The ASEM conference, jointly held by the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Natural Recourses-Environment and
Planning-Investment and the Can Tho City government, attracted 200
delegates from 53 ASEM member countries.
The conference features four key topics:
integrating climate action with sustainable development goals, building the
capacity to cope with climate change, ensuring the participation of
stakeholders and promoting partnership. An expo themed, “Climate Change -
Challenges and Opportunities for Asia-Europe Partnership,” will be included
as well.
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