Vietnam announces national plan for air quality management to 2025

On November 23, 2021, the Prime Minister of the Vietnamese government promulgated Prime Minister’s Decision 1973/QD-TTg on the National Plan on Air Quality Management 2021-2025. The purpose of this decision is to enhance air quality management through emission source control and air quality monitoring and prediction with the aim of improving air quality and protecting health. The plan came into effect on the same day as the promulgation.

The original text of the plan can be downloaded at the following URL:
http://datafile.chinhphu.vn/file-remote-v2/DownloadServlet?filePath=vbpq/2021/11/1973.signed.pdf

Specific objectives

The main objectives set out in the decision are as follows:

• Properly control industrial emissions sources. At the same time, thoroughly ensure that emissions at industrial manufacturing facilities meet environmental technical standards, and proceed with the installation of continuous automatic emissions monitoring equipment.
• Properly control emissions in the fields of traffic and transportation. Complete a national technical standard on emissions from road transport means and a roadmap for its application.
• Strengthen air quality monitoring, warning, and prediction systems in urban areas and areas with concentrated emission sources.
• Properly control emissions from daily life, construction, and agricultural activities.

Main tasks and measures

The following tasks have been set to achieve the above goals.

• Develop systems, policies, and laws related to air quality management.
• Proceed with the prevention and reduction of emissions generation.
• Promote the completion of financing systems and diversification of investment sources in the field of air quality management.
• Strengthen international cooperation and scientific and technological research on air quality management.
• Carry out inspection activities to confirm compliance with laws and regulations related to the protection of the atmospheric environment.
• Improve capacity and awareness of air quality management, and carry out dissemination and educational activities.

Details of the tasks set in the decision and the implementation schedule are specified in the Appendix. Some examples are as follows:

Tasks to be implemented by 2023

• • • • Enact laws related to air quality management based on the Law on Environmental Protection of 2020
      • Create a Vietnam green label standard for environmentally friendly means of transport.
      • Create an inventory of emission sources.

Tasks to be implemented by 2025

• • • • Create a national program on environmentally friendly modes of transport and public transport systems, including electric vehicles (EVs).
      • Review and revise emissions standards for industrial manufacturing facilities and the transport sector.