Rising pollution levels
Viet Nam has been identified as one of the countries most heavily affected by climate change. The proportion of urban residents whose health is affected by emissions from traffic, industry and construction dust is increasing. The effects of air pollution may not be immediate, but the long-term accumulation directly affects children, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
At the very beginning of its 10th plenary session, the National Assembly conducted supervision over the implementation of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection. The results show that air pollution has become a serious issue in several major cities, requiring more decisive action from both state agencies and the wider community.
According to Le Hoai Nam, Deputy Director of the Environment Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, after the COVID-19 pandemic, transport, construction and production activities rebounded sharply, causing air pollution to return with greater severity.
Key sources of pollution include industry, transport, the burning of agricultural by-products and waste, construction and traditional craft villages. Fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) in Ha Noi and the Red River Delta provinces is alarmingly high. In 2024, four prolonged pollution episodes were recorded, with annual average PM2.5 levels exceeding standards by approximately double.
As the capital city, Ha Noi faces particularly heavy pressure regarding air quality. In addition to industrial emissions, its 7.6 million vehicles contribute significantly, accounting for 12-15% of fine particulate pollution, with road dust from traffic alone making up 20-23%.
The city is also affected by cross-regional pollution flows and faces an annual “air pollution season” caused by temperature inversion. Without immediate and truly decisive action, the price to pay will not only be financial, but also measured in the health, lives and future of the next generations.
Applying technology to improve air quality
Records show that emissions in Viet Nam in recent years have risen rather than fallen. At a recent seminar on improving urban air quality, many experts warned that if industrial development continues without comprehensive treatment solutions, it will be very difficult to meet the emission-reduction targets Viet Nam has committed to.
Experts and scientists emphasised that air pollution cannot be solved by a single measure but requires an overarching strategy, in which digital transformation and energy transition play decisive roles.
Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Viet Nam Clean Air Network, pointed out that a major weakness is the lack of a detailed pollution map by source category and locality, with insufficient data making diagnosis too general. To compile an emissions inventory, improve institutions and promote technology to enhance air quality, Viet Nam can learn from Beijing’s pollution-control model. In recent years, Beijing has applied artificial intelligence (AI) to enable rapid and decisive action on air-pollution problems.
Experts call on Viet Nam to apply AI to improve air-quality data clarity and identify pollution sources, from digitising data for source identification to tightening industrial and transport emission standards with specific roadmaps.
Only with clear, transparent and accurate data can authorities build suitable scenarios and policies, determine roadmaps based on clear priorities, and issue early and remote warnings.
According to the National Action Plan on Remediation of Pollution and Management of Air Quality for the 2026-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has submitted a draft roadmap to the Prime Minister for tightening emission standards for cars and motorbikes, with stricter control milestones in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City from 2027-2028.
Under this roadmap, emission standards for vehicles will be tightened to five levels (Euro 1-5) for cars in circulation, instead of only Euro 1 and Euro 2, as at present. Cars manufactured between 2017 and 2021 must meet Euro 4 standards from May 2027. Cars produced from 2022 onwards must meet Euro 5 from May 2028. Emission testing for motorbikes will begin in 2027.
In Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, all motorbikes in circulation must meet at least Euro 2 from May 2028, aiming to gradually eliminate high-emitting vehicles. The completion and implementation of this roadmap is expected to help reduce emissions from transport, one of the major sources of urban air pollution.
