Significant room for achieving the Net Zero target
According to vehicle registration statistics, Viet Nam currently has around seven million cars and 80 million motorcycles, motorbikes and other types of vehicles and machinery. The railway sector operates more than 400 locomotives and over 6,000 carriages; inland waterways have about 240,000 vessels; the maritime sector has more than 1,200 ships; and the aviation sector operates roughly 300 civil aircraft.
Based on these figures and operational realities, road transport accounts for more than 85% of emissions from the entire transport sector, as vehicles using fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) make up over 80% of the fleet. A large number of these vehicles are old and fail to meet EURO emission standards, causing serious environmental pollution.
From 2025 onwards, according to estimates by the Ministry of Construction, the transport sector is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around six per cent each year. This target is considered achievable if authorities simultaneously implement a range of measures such as eliminating vehicles that fail to meet emission standards, restricting new production of polluting vehicles, promoting the use of cleaner fuels and expanding public transport. In particular, strengthening the supply capacity of green-energy vehicles to gradually replace petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles will be crucial. These efforts follow Decision No. 876/QD-TTg issued on July 22, 2022 by the Prime Minister approving the Action Programme on Green Energy Transition and the Reduction of Carbon and Methane Emissions in the Transport Sector (Decision 876).
The target is that by 2050, 100% of road vehicles nationwide will use green energy, equivalent to a reduction of 45.62 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Other modes of transport — including railways, waterways and aviation — will also gradually transition according to specific ratios to ensure that the targets set in the plan are achieved.
Decision 876 also outlines a detailed roadmap for the green transition of transport vehicles, particularly in road transport. The plan emphasises the use of clean energy, the conversion of vehicles and investment in infrastructure to support the green transition.
According to Le Van Dat, Deputy Director of the Academy of Strategy and Training for Construction Officials under the Ministry of Construction, the transport sector currently has four main pillars for reducing emissions: improving energy efficiency; shifting freight transport methods; transitioning fuels, energy sources and vehicles; and increasing the use of public transport instead of private vehicles.
Specifically, management authorities need to develop plans to limit energy consumption for petrol- and diesel-powered private vehicles, increase load factors for freight transport vehicles and shift freight transport from road to lower-emission modes such as railways and waterways. At the same time, it is necessary to supplement and improve green public transport infrastructure and vehicles to meet the travel needs of the public. In addition, the supply of personal vehicles powered by green energy should be expanded, alongside further research and application of alternative fuels.
Positive developments
Controlling and limiting sources of pollution is one of the key measures approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 2530/QD-TTg dated November 19, 2025 on the National Action Plan for Pollution Mitigation and Air Quality Management for the 2026–2030 period, with a vision to 2045. The plan identifies vehicles powered by fossil fuels as a category that will be subject to adjustments under a clearly defined roadmap.
For road transport, electric vehicles are expected to continue growing strongly after 2030, reaching 75% of cars and 100% of motorcycles by 2050. During the same period, other forms of green energy such as hydrogen and methanol will also begin to be tested and gradually deployed on a wider scale.
In the railway industry, electric power has already been used for some urban rail systems during the 2019–2025 period. However, locomotives operating on non-urban railway lines still rely on traditional fuels. Hydrogen-powered locomotives may be introduced from 2040 onwards, and by 2050 the proportion of locomotives using green fuels is expected to reach around 60%.
By 2035, inland waterway transport is expected to begin using electricity and hydrogen, with green energy accounting for approximately 45% of the sector by 2050. Coastal shipping vessels are projected to use up to 90% alternative fuels derived from hydrogen and ammonia. In aviation, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is expected to begin being used from 2035, with the goal of accounting for 50% of the sector’s total energy demand by 2050.
Le Hoai Nam, Deputy Director General of the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said that the National Action Plan for Pollution Mitigation and Air Quality Management for the 2026–2030 period, with a vision to 2045, outlines five key solutions to achieve its objectives. Among these, controlling pollution from transport activities and moving towards limiting and ultimately eliminating emissions is considered a critical factor.
Given the particular characteristics of Viet Nam’s society, where a large number of personal vehicles - especially motorcycles - are used for daily travel, implementing solutions to transition fuels and replace vehicles will have significant impacts on the normal activities of citizens and businesses. Therefore, an appropriate roadmap and practical financial support for both individuals and transport enterprises will be necessary. The Government has already directed relevant ministries and sectors to study and propose appropriate measures since early 2025.
So far, several solutions and initiatives that have been implemented have already shown positive results, particularly in raising public awareness and strengthening people’s sense of responsibility for environmental protection.
