Workers assemble electric cars at a Vinfast factory in Hai Phong, Vietnam, on Sept 29, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

As Vietnam continues to suffer from one of the worst air pollution in Southeast Asia, experts say more efforts are needed to support the country’s green energy transition.  

“Greater awareness is required both in terms of the extent of the problem (of air pollution) and the simple solutions that are available,” said Richard Ramsawak, a lecturer of economics at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology – University, Vietnam, or RMIT University Vietnam. 

In regions with poor air quality, authorities should encourage and incentivize climate-friendly practices among citizens, said Ramsawak, adding that the government also needs to support the transition to renewable and clean energy by dealing with difficult topics of energy tariffs and direct selling arrangement in regard to power producers. 

Vietnam ranked as the second most polluted country in 2023 in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia, according to a report by the air monitoring website IQAir in March. The country’s PM2.5 levels increased nearly 9 percent in 2023, back to pre-pandemic concentrations. 

In particular, the capital Hanoi has frequently topped IQAIR’s list of most-polluted cities this year. Data from the website showed that the city observed 29 days of unhealthy air quality between March 4 and April 2, with only one day enjoying moderate air quality, according to Vietnamese online newspaper VnExpress. 

Ramsawak said poor air quality in Vietnam is still very concentrated in key urban locations, specifically to the north and a lesser extent in the central and southern region.  

“The reasons for poor and persistent air quality in these locations are a mix of man and climate-based sources,” said Ramsawak, noting reasons such as emissions from outdated power plants, industrial production, the continuous swarms of carbon-emitting motorbikes, and continued poor waste disposal and agricultural practices. 

In addition, IQAir said in its annual report that climate conditions intensified existing air quality issues in Southeast Asia in 2023, with El Nino conditions delaying the onset of the rainy season and its mitigating impact on PM2.5 levels.

Vietnam pledged to achieve net-zero by 2050 and announced last year that it will not develop new coal power plants after 2030. 

Due to its geographical features, it is more favorable to develop renewable energy in the south of Vietnam than in the north, said Nguyen Bao Huy, an expert with the research lab Control Technique and Innovation for Electric Vehicle at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam. 

“A solution to this issue is to build more transmission lines to transmit the power from the south to the north,” said Huy. 

Currently, coal is likely to remain a major source of energy in Vietnam but it is also noteworthy that the country has canceled or shelved a significant number of coal-fired energy generation projects since making its global commitments to green energy, said Ramsawak from RMIT University Vietnam. 

Apart from reducing coal-fired power plants, Ramsawak said a fundamental part of any solution lies in having affordable and practical climate-friendly solutions not only for corporates but for poorer households. 

Though Vietnam has nearly doubled its coal imports so far this year, Huy from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology said there is no clear link between the import and air pollution because the coal may be stored to ensure national energy security. 

With the internal combustion engines of vehicles being one of the most pollution-emission sources, Huy said transportation electrification should be a solution. 

Huy has been in a research team coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme Vietnam to carry out a consultant study for the Vietnamese government on planning infrastructure for electric vehicles charging on expressways. 

Vietnam has been actively engaging international players in its high-potential energy transition. 

In a meeting with the Power Construction Corporation of China in February, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said he welcomes Chinese participation in renewable energy projects in his country, and encourages the Chinese firms to enhance knowledge sharing with local partners.  

Contact the writer at kelly@chinadailyapac.com