The four-day event was co-hosted by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Asia-Pacific, the US’s Auburn University, the Rencontres du Vietnam and the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE).
In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh affirmed the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of pursuing economic growth alongside environmental protection for sustainable development.
Environmental issues remain central to the country's agendas, strategies and development plans, he said, adding that the ultimate goal is to protect public health, ensure environment quality, and protect biodiversity and ecosystems.
According to the official, an important task that Vietnam needs to focus on recently is to perform policies on green transition, develop a low-carbon economy, and reduce emissions based on the principles of fairness, justice and proactive response to climate change.
Thanh wished that Vietnamese and foreign experts would engage in open discussions on environment challenges specific to Vietnam, and find the most effective and suitable solutions to address them, contributing to the country's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The discussions will cover a diverse range of topics, including plastic pollution, chemical contamination, environment monitoring, pollution treatment technologies, ecological risk assessment, and human health impacts.
There will be three short training courses and eight sessions on various topics, with nearly 50 presentations delivered by domestic and foreign scientists and managers, including world-renowned experts and young scientists.
A dialogue between the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and domestic and foreign scientists is also planned, aiming to share information on pressing environment issues in Vietnam, establish networking opportunities and foster international cooperation in environmental protection.
