Viet Nam is reshaping its environmental governance. On 13 May 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung chaired a high-level government meeting to define strategic directions for a new party resolution on environmental protection and climate change, set to replace Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW from 2026
The issuance of Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW in 2013 established for the first time the view that climate change response, natural resource management and environmental protection are fundamental pillars of sustainable development and among the key priorities of the entire political system. The resolution provided the political foundation for integrating environmental and climate objectives into socio-economic development strategies, while paving the way for subsequent policies on green growth, circular economy and the principle of not trading environmental protection for economic growth.
The implementation of Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW (2013) helped strengthen awareness, institutions and legal frameworks for climate response and environmental protection. Twelve years under Resolution 24 brought significant results, including seven environmental laws enacted, nearly 80 government decrees issued, the flagship “One Billion Trees” programme, exceeding its five-year target by 44%, and the “One Million Hectare High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice” programme in the Mekong Delta, with its implementation area reaching 197% of the initial target. The budget allocated for environmental protection activities has increased steadily year by year and has consistently been maintained at no less than 1% of total state budget expenditure, while remaining higher than in previous periods (in 2022, it was 2.2 times higher than in 2013). The country has also updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), expanded renewable energy rapidly, and accelerated the shift to electric vehicles.
These policies and programmes mark a significant step forward in Viet Nam’s climate and environmental governance. With the 14th Party Congress determining environmental protection and climate response as a core pillar of the new development model and calling for a shift from reactive management to modern, data- and market-based governance, a new resolution has become necessary to meet these heightened ambitions.
What the New Resolution Envisions
On 13 May 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung chaired a high-level government meeting to set out strategic directions for the new resolution.
He emphasised two priorities. By 2035, Viet Nam aims to establish a modern governance system, restore key ecosystems and accelerate a green economic transition. By 2050, Viet Nam wants to achieve a healthy living environment, with green and circular economy principles at its core and net-zero emissions. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) has proposed eleven priority areas, spanning from institutional reform, green market development, emission management, pollution control, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, innovation, resource mobilisation to international cooperation.
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung stressed that the new resolution must go beyond aspirational language, with evaluation mechanisms that are measurable and its accountability tied directly to heads of agencies and local governments. Environmental protection, he emphasised, is a shared responsibility across the political system, businesses and citizens alike and it must be grounded in a stronger culture of environmental stewardship from the grassroots level upward. MAE has been tasked to draft both the resolution and a corresponding action plan for immediate implementation upon the resolution’s adoption. The new resolution is expected in late 2026.
