G2.1.1. Actions to reduce displacement of greenhouse gas emissions

Viet Nam’s Country Safeguards Framework (CSF) covers the legal framework, as well as processes and outcomes related to the risks of displacement. Various policies, laws and regulations have been identified as relevant for reducing displacement risks, as follows:

• The Law on Land (2024) provides conditions and criteria for changing land use purposes (Articles 121, 122, 123) that include forest land. Specifically, it sets out requirements for changing special use forest (SUF) land, protected forest land and production forest land to other agricultural land purposes. Criteria, conditions and procedures of changing land use purposes of protective forest land, SUF land, and production forest land are detailed in Decree No 102/2024/ND-CP including that changing the use purpose of SUF and protection forest to other types of agricultural land is subject to the PPCs approval for areas from 2 ha that met criteria and conditions (Article 46 and 48).
• The Law on Forestry (2017) (Articles 11 and 14) requires that forest the master plan should be based on a 30- to 50-year vision, and prohibits the conversion of natural forest ‘’use purposes’’ to another use (except in cases of nationally important projects, national defense projects, or other critical projects approved by the Government). Forest owners who are allowed to change the use purpose of natural forests to other purposes must plant replacement forests equal to 3 times the area of natural forests whose use purposes are changed. Viet Nam has also implemented a policy to stop logging in natural forests from 2015 to present. Please refer to SIS E.2.1.1. for further information.
• Article 8 of the Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protecting the ozone layer requires the development and implementation of sustainable forest management measures, protecting and improving forest coverage, biomass and quality to increase the ability to absorb GHGs. It also calls for the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of activities to increase GHG absorption from sustainable forest management, protection and improvement of forest coverage, biomass and quality nationwide.
• Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP and Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BNN-TCLN strictly regulate the order and procedures for converting natural forests to other purposes including regulations on planting replacement forests in natural forest areas. It also includes information on forest fire prevention and requires investigation, inventory, and monitoring of forest resource developments. The National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) provides data on forest changes and deforestation areas by causes (forest exploitation, forest fires, illegal deforestation, conversion of forest use purposes, changes due to natural disasters, epidemics and other causes). Every year, the Provincial Peoples Committees (PPCs) and The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) also publish this data.[1]
• Decree No. 102/2020/ND-CP on the Viet Nam Timber Legality System regulates timber import and export, helping to reduce the risks of displacement of emissions.

Various international agreements and processes also commit Viet Nam to coordination on forest management and protection, law enforcement and trade which are relevant to efforts to identify and reduce displacement. For example:

• Viet Nam joined the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use at the UNFCCC COP26,[2] which sets out a target to decrease GHG emissions by 43% in agriculture and 70% in the forestry and land use sectors by 2030 (compared to the business-as-usual scenario); the carbon sequestration capacity is expected to increase by 20% by 2030.
• Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed between Viet Nam Forest Protection Departments (FPDs) and the Department of Forest Inspection of Lao PDR on cooperation in forest protection, forest law enforcement, and preventing illegal trading and transport of timber, forest products and wildlife. Negotiations among the relevant provinces with border crossings (Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces) aimed at improving cooperation to combat illegal logging.
• Viet Nam and neighbouring countries, including Lao PDR, are implementing Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Government and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. The introduction of timber regulations by Lao PDR has already made a significant impact on the movement of logs and sawn-wood into Viet Nam.
• The EU-Viet Nam Joint Implementation Framework and Viet Nam Legal documentation and guidelines for implementation of Viet Nam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS) are expected to be developed with the integration of voluntary certification and VNTLAS national schemes, with support from GIZ (Germany’s international cooperation agency).
• Customs officials at Viet Nam’s major importing ports and border points are being provided training by Vietnam Customs and VNFOREST on the implementation of timber import and export controls. Chain-of-Custody certification is required among large processing companies in Viet Nam, particularly in furniture manufacturing.[3]

[1] For example, The People's Committee of Dak Nong province issued the Decision (Decision No. 176/QD-UBND dated February 26,/2024) to announce the current forest status in 2023 in Dak Nong province: http://qbvr.daknong.gov.vn/van-ban/van-ban-dia-phuong/vbpl-tinh/

[2] Decision No. 888/QD-TTg dated July 25, 2022 on Approving the Scheme on tasks and solutions to implement the results of the COP26

[3] Decree No. 120/2024/ND-CP of the Government: Amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 102/2020/ND-CP dated September 1, 2020 of the Government regulating the Vietnam Timber Legality Assurance System.