Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam delivers keynote address
The overarching goal of the forum is to strengthen collaboration among the public, private and social sectors, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam in his keynote address.At the conclusion of the forum we need to have a list of voluntary private sector commitments to cover areas affecting sustainability ranging from low- or no-carbon footprints to reforestation as well as business plans for subsistence farmers and renewal of freshwater sources.In addition, the Deputy PM underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in making transformational changes on energy, water, food, women’s empowerment and other issues, and the power of private sector innovation to scale up and sustain progress.Tran Hong Ha, minister of Natural Resources and Environment in turn spoke about the importance of launching a new corporate policy framework to assist companies in the development, implementation, and disclosure of policies and practices related to ecosystems and biodiversity.Most significantly, he said, there must be a commitment to develop national voluntary business principles of good practice and policy for sustainable agriculture and commitments by higher education institutions in principles for responsible management of training.Minister Ha also told the audience of the nation’s plan to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, affirming the responsibility of Vietnam in working together with the international community in response to global climate change.