LookAtVietnam – Viet Nam was actively implementing a national programme to cope with climate change, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

Viet Nam had a long coastal line with many economic zones and people located along it. The Red River and Mekong deltas provided cooking to 86 million Vietnamese and also to hundreds of millions of people around the world. The nation’s rice exports made up one- fifth of total world rice exports.

Dung said if sea levels rose by 1 metre, 38 per cent of the country’s delta and coastal regions would be flooded, directly and seriously affecting people’s lives, society and food security of Viet Nam and the world.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Earth was the common home of humans, thus response to climate change was the urgent responsibility of each nation.

Viet Nam highly valued initiatives to protect the Earth’s climate and wished countries would reach new agreements to cope with the changes.

Dung said developed countries must make strong commitments and put forward specific targets to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the middle and long terms to keep global temperature rises below two degree Celsius by the end of the century.

Developed countries and high greenhouse gas emitters must help developing countries and those hardest hit by climate change and rising sea levels by applying new financial regimes, transferring technology, using the Adaptation Fund and raising the capacity of poorer nations to respond to climate change.

Developing countries should contribute to global efforts by cutting greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining sustainable development.

Dung said international communities needed a joint organisation to co-ordinate climate-change response activities around the world.

The Prime Minister said Viet Nam was committed to coping with climate change and highly appreciated international support.

The summit on climate change was attended by 130 leaders from 192 countries and territories worldwide.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News