The European Union encouraged Viet Nam to pursue to a more ambitious climate goal than its current greenhouse gas reduction target of eight per cent by 2030. — Photo nangluongvietnam.vn

Bruno Angelet, Ambassador – Head of the EU Delegation to Viet Nam made the statement at a conference held yesterday in Ha Noi ahead of the 21st Conference of Parties in Paris this December (COP).

The conference was organised by the EU Delegation to Viet Nam and the Embassies of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Cutting eight per cent of greenhouse gas discharge, equal to about 787 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2021 and 2030, was one of the goals Viet Nam set in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) before participating in the COP 21.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha said that Viet Nam only targeted an 8 per cent cut due to the country's difficult economic situation.

However, the figure could reach 25 per cent with international support, Ha said.

Ha said Viet Nam expected the EU and its member states to continue helping the country fight climate change.

Angelet said that Viet Nam was one of the countries suffering the most from climate change, with people's livelihoods and the nation's socio-economic development being impacted.

The EU will continue supporting Viet Nam in green growth and coping with climate change, he said.

Also at the conference, Remi Lambert, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France said that police and the army were mobilised and available now to ensure safety for COP 21 participants.

The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is expected to take place between November 30 and December 11 in Paris, France.

The COP 21 will, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

France will play a leading role in hosting this seminal conference, and COP 21 will be one of the largest international conferences ever held in the country. The conference is expected to attract close to 50,000 participants including 25,000 official delegates from government, intergovernmental organisations, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society.