Their meeting took place on June 26 on the sidelines of the sixth Global Environment Facility Assembly (GEF 6) in the central city of Da Nang.
Vietnam will promptly issue financial regulations on plastic bags as many countries worldwide have imposed tariffs on the products, helping to reduce 90 percent of the usage, Minister Ha said.
The minister thanked cooperation and support of the UNEP as well as the Executive Director for Vietnam and his ministry in particular over the past time.
The UNEP has helped Vietnam with technologies and consultants in building environmental laws and policies, provided scholarships for Vietnamese environmental workers, and assisted the country in environmental projects and programmes, he said.
For his part, Erik Solheim said contents of his discussion with the minister will be added to the list of the UNEP’s activities during the GEF 6.
He also spoke of the Kigali Amendment to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) adopted by member countries in October 2016.
The Kigali Amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2019, provided that it is ratified by at least 20 member states of the Montreal Protocol. To date, 38 countries have approved the document, according to Erik Solheim.
During the meeting, the two sides compared notes on maritime waste in the context that maritime plastic waste is a global issue.
Ha said Vietnam has the responsibility for joining the world to address the challenge.
