Hanoi – The recent record high tide levels in HCM city could have gained their strength from carbon emissions as part of the effects of ongoing global climate change, a United Nations Human Development Report analysis has shown. The report, launched yesterday in Hanoi, called on wealthy countries to cut their carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050. Developing Asian countries, especially fast growing countries such as China and India, should cut emissions by at least 20 percent by 2050.The emissions cut are needed to maintain a sustainable carbon budget, which was identified in the report as keeping temperatures rising no more than 2 degrees Celsius.
A two-degree temperature rise will see global sea levels rise by one metre, which will inundate 12 percent of Vietnam’s land, mostly the fertile arable low-lying areas, and displace 22 million people in the country.
Speaking at the report’s launch in Hanoi yesterday, UN resident coordinator in Vietnam, John Hendra, said that already people in Vietnam were feeling the effects of rising temperatures.
“Floods and storms are hammering Vietnam’s coastal areas and climate change is making that worse”, said Hendra.
Sea tides rose to 1.5m in HCM city on Tuesday night, the highest in 48 years. Climate change in Vietnam has seen temperatures increasing about 0.1 degree per decade, sea levels rising by 2.5 to 3cm per decade, and unstable rainfall causing floods and droughts, according to the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment.
Climate change is expected to impact on industries such as agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries and coastal and energy sectors.
“Vietnam is one of the countries that will be most affected by climate change, and at the same time on of the nations with the opportunity to influence international decisions, including at the upcoming UN Global Conference on Climate Change in Bali (on 3-14 December)”, Hendra said.
Lead author of the HDR, Kevin Watkins, said the carbon budget of the 21st century was being overspent and threatens to run out completely in 2032.
“And the poor – those with the lightest carbon footprint and the least means to protect themselves – are the first victims of developed countries’ energy rich lifestyle”, said Watkins.
Nine planets would be required to absorb all the world’s carbon if every poor person had the same energy-rich lifestyle as an American or a Canadian, says the report. The report stresses that nations have ten years to act; otherwise the effects will be irreversible.
Carbon trading
The report promotes strategies such as pricing carbon, and developing a mix of energy sources as effective in mitigating climate change impacts.
Carbon trade is a way to transfer financing between rich and poor countries, in which a certified emission reduction (CER) equivalent to one tonne of carbon and reduced through clean development mechanisms (CDMs) can be sold.
“It’s the capital flow and technological transfer{involved in carbon trade}that will help developing countries mitigate climate change impacts”, said Koos Neefjes, senior advisor for sustainable development at the UNDP.
Nguyen Khac Hieu, deputy director of the International Cooperation Department of the MONRE, said that Vietnam is developing its regulatory framework to enable more active participation in the world’s CER market.
Hieu said that Rang Dong Oil Field, whose associated gas now being used to generate power and liquefied petroleum gas in stead of being wasted, has achieved carbon reduction of 7.6 million tonnes. The field is being considered for receiving 4.8 million CERs by the end of this year.
Vietnam should also restrain its use of fossil fuels like coal, which generates much more carbon dioxide than oil and gas.
With 1.3 percent of the world’s population, Vietnam accounts for 0.3 per cent of global emissions – an average of 1.2 tones of carbon dioxide per person.
Other seminar participants said that Vietnam should raise its voice on the issue in international forums.
“Vietnam is among those most severely affected. Even if the emission target is met, 22 million people will still be displaced as sea level rise one metre”, said a representative from Oxfam.
“Vietnam and its delegation in Bali should push for even more ambitious international agreements, which will see even more emissions to be cut”, he said. “It should also require adequate financing from donors for adaptation to climate change, as the effects of climate change will continue for many years to come”.
Vietnam ratified a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994, and the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. The MONRE is assigned by the Government to be the national focal point to implement strategies to tackle climate change.
This year’s human development index (HDI) is 0.733 for Vietnam, which has constantly been increasing since the index was first compiled in 1990. Vietnam scores relatively well in life expectancy, at 56th and adult literacy rate at 57th. Its overall rank is 105th out of 177 countries and territories.
The country can improve its HDI in the future by enhancing secondary and tertiary school enrolment and improving its per capita income, which is now at a very low rank of 122nd.