FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS

---------***--------

REPORT
Major: Growth and development

Green Economy practices in Japan: Lessons for Vietnam

Group: 9
Class: KTEE410(GD1-HK2-2223).1
Supervisor: PhD Pham Xuan Truong

Hanoi, March 2023

 FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
---------***--------

REPORT
Major: Growth and development

Green Economy practices in Japan: Lessons for Vietnam

Group: 9
Class: KTEE410(GD1-HK2-2223).1
Supervisor: PhD Pham Xuan Truong

Hanoi, March 2023

 TABLE OF CONTENT

INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF GREEN ECONOMY 3
1.1 Definition 3
1.1.1 Definition of Green Economy 3
1.1.2 Terminological distinction between “Green economy” and other related concepts
3
1.2 Components and principles of green economy 5
1.2.1 Main areas of green economy 5
1.2.1.1 Ecosystem - Natural capital 6
1.2.1.2 Economy - Produced capital 6
1.2.1.3 Human well-being - Social and human capital 7
1.2.2 Principles of Green Economy 7
1.3 Current impacts of Green Economy in the world and typical models 8
1.3.1 The necessity of transition from “Brown Economy” to “Green Economy” 8
1.3.2 Current impacts 10
1.3.2.1 Current impacts and potential of green economy on ecosystem 10
1.3.2.2 Current impacts and potential of green economy on economy 11
1.3.2.3 Current impacts and potential of green economy on human well -being 13
1.3.3 Green Economy Models 14
1.3.3.1 Thailand - Applying the green biological circular economy model 14
1.3.3.2 Germany - "Agenda 2030" framework 16
CHAPTER 2: GREEN ECONOMY IN JAPAN 18
2.1 Rationality 18
2.2 Green Economy policies 18
2.2.1 Natural capital developing policies in green economy - a “low carbon society” 18
2.2.1.1 A “low carbon society” 18
2.2.1.2 The need for a “low carbon society” 19
2.2.1.3 Actions for a “low carbon society” 19
2.2.2 Produced capital developing policies in green economy - a “sound material-cycle
society” 22
2.2.2.1 A “sound material-cycle society” 22
2.2.2.2 The needs for a “sound material-cycle society” 22
2.2.3 Human and social capital developing policies in green economy - “a “society in
harmony with nature” 24
2.2.3.1 A “society in harmony with nature” 24
2.2.3.2 The needs for a “society in harmony with nature” 25
2.3 Typical successful cases 26
2.3.1 Japan’s energy sector 26
2.3.2 Japan’s environmental conservation agriculture (ECA) 31
CHAPTER 3: GREEN ECONOMY POLICIES IN VIETNAM 34
3.1. Current situation 34
3.1.1 Demand for Green Economy in Vietnam 34
3.1.2 Feature of Green Economy in Vietnam 37
3.1.2.1 Green Economy policies in Vietnam 38
3.1.2.2 Green Campaigns in Vietnam 44
3.2 Opportunity and challenges of Green Economy 46
3.2.1 Opportunities 46
3.2.2 Challenges 54
3.3 Recommendations for Viet Nam 55
3.3.1 Critical comparison between Japan and Vietnam: 55
3.3.2 Critique for Vietnamese Green Economy practices 57
CONCLUSION 59
REFERENCES 60
 ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ESCO Energy service companies

DBFO Design Build Finance Operate

GHG Greenhouse gases

UNEP The United Nations Environment Program

OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation

and Development

BCG Bio-Circular-Green

ADB Asian Development Bank

SDGs The UN Sustainable Development Goals

LEED Energy and Environmental Design

HDI Human development index

MRV Measurement, Reporting, and Verification

systems

UNFCCC The United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change

GDP Gross domestic demand

EVs Electric vehicles

JNTO Japan National Tourism Organization

3R Reduce – Reuse- Recycle

CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate

ESG Environmental, social, and corporate

governance

NDCs Nationally determined contribution

COP26 2021 United Nations Climate Change

Conference
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1. Terminological relationship between sustainable development, green growth,

circular economy and green economy....................................................................................4
Figure 1.2. Main area of green economy.................................................................................6
Figure 1.3. Death rate in greater London................................................................................9
Figure 1.4. Annual rate of forest expansion and deforestation in 1990-2020........................11
Figure 1.5. Investment in sustainable energy, 2004-2009.....................................................12
Figure 1.6. BCG model of Thailand......................................................................................15
Figure 2.1: Structure of primary energy supply in Japan......................................................27
Figure 2.2 : Electric Power Generation in Japan...................................................................27
Figure 2.3: Investments in RES, USD bln.............................................................................29
Figure 2.4: Energy intensity.................................................................................................30
Figure 3.1: Funds Through ADB (Asian Development Bank) for Carbon Finance,
Adaptation, and Environmental Initiatives...........................................................................51
Figure 3.2: Globally Available Funds and Facilities for Carbon Finance, Adaptation, and
Environmental Initiatives.....................................................................................................53
 SUMMARY OF THESIS

Topic: Green Economy practices in Japan: Lessons for Vietnam

Student ID
Nguyễn Kim Chi 2013450008
Đỗ Quốc Hiệp 2014450205

Bùi Ngọc Linh 2013450027

Nguyễn Hoàng Minh 2014450211

Trần Mai Phương 2111410106

Vũ Thu Uyên 2013450065

Class: KTEE410(GD1-HK2-2223).1

Supervisor: PhD. Pham Xuan Truong

Department/ Faculty: International Economics

Keyword: Green economy, Japan, green growth, lessons, Vietnam

Contents of the Summary:

1. Title of the thesis: Green Economy practices in Japan: Lessons for

Vietnam.
2. Main topic of the thesis: The thesis focuses on understanding the features,
policies, strengths and limitations of Japan's green economy, thereby
giving lessons for the green economy in Vietnam.
3. Purpose of the thesis: Provide an overall understanding of the various
mechanisms and policies for green economies within Japan and Vietnam.
The study helps readers understand the working mechanism and the
difference between the green economy in two different countries. At the
 same time, it raises the reader's awareness about the benefits of greening
the economy for society, the economy, and the environment.
4. Methodology used in the thesis: Qualitative research method.
5. Contents and main findings of the thesis: The study is divided into three
main chapters: Overview of Green Economy, Green Economy in Japan,
and Green Economy policies in Vietnam. The findings of the study are
lessons for Vietnam to develop a green economy from the strengths and
weaknesses of the Japanese green economy, and point out opportunities
for Vietnam to green the economy in the future. The study also provides
relatively detailed knowledge of the difference between the green
economy in two countries - a developed country and a developing country.
 INTRODUCTION

The choice of a way for the further development of the world economy is becoming
increasingly urgent in the modern conditions of global instability. Although the economic
system that prevailed earlier provided certain results in raising the people’s living
standards, the negative consequences of this system referred to as the brown economy are
significant; and the development of a green economy is rising in importance around the
globe. The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development has identified
the green economy as one of the important tools for achieving sustainable development,
which can provide a significant opportunity to the shift to a new global economic paradigm.
Along with mobilising and promoting investments, directed measures from the government
at the economy-wide level towards green sectors and to the greening of brown sectors is
vital for the transition towards a green economy.

In Japan, the green economy was defined by the Japanese Government (in 2011) as
an economic system which promotes sustainable growth while improving human welfare
through pursuing economic growth and conserving the environment at the same time, as
well as utilising natural resources and ecosystem services properly. Technological
innovation and the role of the adopting policies as a new engine for economic growth have
been stressed as priority areas for the green economy. Japan’s policy incentives towards
sustainable development goals is thus a key element for addressing such priorities.
Therefore, the need for an analysis of Japan’s policy is significant.

With a young population of more than 96 million by 2019, Vietnam is one of the
fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia and the fourth largest GHG emitter in the
region. Since the early 2010s, Vietnam has been facing increasing pressure to control its
emissions and shift to a low-carbon economy, and in the long-term, under the transition
into a “green economy” in recent years. This pressure is from both international and
domestic, reflecting Vietnam’s role in global/regional efforts, as well as the growing
demand by citizens for better environmental conditions. The success of Japan can be great

1
lessons for Vietnam in the way to the green economy.

This paper presents an analysis of the current state of the green economy and
national policies regarding essential growth sectors in both Japan and Vietnam, showcases
that Japan’s policies focus on promoting technology innovation, secondly, on greening the
sector; therefore; reviews the country efforts in greening sector and promoting green
economy in years to come.
The report uses qualitative research methods; however, due to restrictions of
geography and the wide scope of subjects, the report will derive and analyse data through
existing documents from various sources.
Aside from the introduction and references, the report comprises 3 chapters:
● Chapter 1: Overview of Green Economy
● Chapter 2: Green Economy in Japan
● Chapter 3: Green Economy policies in Viet Nam

2
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF GREEN ECONOMY

1.1 Definition

1.1.1 Definition of Green Economy

The concept "Green Economy" was originally adopted by a group of environmental

economists, including David Pearce, Anil Markandya, and Edward Barbier, in their report
"Blueprint for a Green Economy" to the United Kingdom Government in 1989. (Pearce,
Markandya, & Barbier, 1989). In the context of the global economic crisis, the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reaffirmed this notion in 2008, citing the creation
of a green economy as an important path out of the country's economic crisis and toward
sustainable development.
There are several definitions of the Green Economy, but the UNEP definition is by
far the most precise and comprehensive. Accordingly, a green economy is “an economy
that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing
environmental risks and ecological scarcities.” (UNEP, 2011) Growth in employment and
income in a green economy is driven by public and private investment in economic
activities, infrastructure, and assets that allow for lower carbon emissions and pollution,
increased energy and resource efficiency, and the preservation of biodiversity and
ecosystem services.
1.1.2 Terminological distinction between “Green economy” and other related
concepts

1.1.2.1 Green Economy and Brown Economy

The Brown Economy, which is the opposite concept of green economy, refers to a
once-popular development concept that prioritised economic development over
environmental control. UNEP defines the brown economy as an economy dependent
excessively on fossil fuel energy, ignoring social problems, environmental degradation and
natural resource depletion. (UNEP, 2011) The term "brown" relates to environmental
contamination and wasteful resource utilisation.

3
 1.1.2.2 Green Economy and Sustainable Development, Green Growth, Circular
Economy
Several other concepts and terminology are referenced alongside the Green
Economy. These ideas are geared toward a shared aim: Sustainable Development, which
is a large and long-term goal for all economies. The graph below depicts the relationship
between the concepts as well as the term green economy.

Figure 1.1. Terminological relationship between sustainable development, green

growth , circular economy and green economy
Source: Compilation by authors
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (UN, n.d) The
concept of green economy is similar to but does not replace that of sustainable
development, and may be regarded as a means of achieving sustainable development.
(Bowen, 2012) The Green Economy provides a macro-economic approach to sustainable
economic growth with a central focus on investments, employment and skills.
Green Growth
Green Growth is a term that is often used alongside or interchangeably with the
green economy. Green Growth means fostering economic growth and development, while
ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services

4
on which our well-being relies. (OECD, n.d) It is founded on the concept that as long as
economic expansion is the primary aim, economic growth must be decoupled from
resource usage and negative environmental repercussions. As a result, green growth is
inextricably linked to the notions of green economy and low-carbon or sustainable
development.
Circular economy
A green economy and a circular economy sound similar because they have the same
objective of harmonising economic development with environmental conservation and
guaranteeing the well-being of society. Yet, these two models address distinct production
and development issues. If the green economy is defined as economic activities linked
together to promote global sustainable development, poverty alleviation, environmental
protection, ecological efficiency, and low carbon development, the circular economy is a
regenerative development strategy for economic growth that focuses on recovery, the use
of renewable energy, and the elimination of hazardous chemicals and waste through
superior material, product, system, and business model design and does not place emphasis
on human well‑being or social inclusion (Enel X, n.d) As such, the circular economy
concept supports directly the resource‑efficiency dimensions of green economy objectives.

1.2 Components and principles of green economy

1.2.1 Main areas of green economy

As previously said, the green economy is claimed to be comparable to the notion of

sustainable development, which is thought to be based on three pillars – People, Property
and Planet (3P) Indeed, the Green Economy is also focused on three key aspects of
Sustainable Development. But, the Green Economy strategy is to first focus on the
Economics (Produced Capital) and the Environment from the standpoint of the ecosystem
(Natural Capital), and then use it as the foundation to promote human well-being (Social
and Human Capital). (UN, n.d) The green economy approach is a movement away from
considering environmental factors as a cost element that constrains economic development

5
and compromises competitiveness, and toward understanding such considerations as
important to the long term sustainability of economic activity.

Figure 1.2. Main area of green economy

Source: Charalambous (2020)
1.2.1.1 Ecosystem - Natural capital
As global economic expansion approaches planetary limitations, separating
economic value creation from natural resource usage and environmental repercussions
becomes more critical. Therefore, the primary purpose of natural capital development is to
ensure ecosystem resilience, which includes solutions for preserving and conserving
natural energy or agricultural resources, lowering carbon emissions, minimizing water
shortages, and reducing total waste for current and future generations.
1.2.1.2 Economy - Produced capital
The goal of economic development in a green economy is to ensure the efficient use
of resources. Humans must guarantee that economic progress and environmental
conservation go hand in hand by reducing the hazards caused by their production. Product
recycling and the utilization of renewable energy are thus critical components of economic
growth.

6
 1.2.1.3 Human well-being - Social and human capital
An economy needs to have healthy communities and thereby a healthy workforce.
(Charalambous, 2020). Notwithstanding that the green economy prioritises economic
development as well as environmental conservation, it does not take human well-being
lightly. On the contrary, aspects such as "social justice," "higher quality of life," "human
happiness and social justice" have long been emphasised in definitions of the Green
Economy.
1.2.2 Principles of Green Economy

To avoid a fragmentary approach that could confuse stakeholders and impede the
systematic progress required in the transition to a green economy, major organizations
working in the green economic sector around the world have met several times to reach
agreement on a consistent framework to capture the complexities of the transition to
greener, more equitable, and more resilient economies. The green economy principles
listed below contribute to the direction of government plans and policies in the green
economy transition process. Based on a people-and nature-centric model, the principles of
Green Economy can be summarized as follows:
1. Well-being: A Green Economy must create genuine, sustained, shared wellbeing,
going beyond mere monetary wealth to prioritize human development, health,
happiness, education, and community.
2. Justice: A Green Economy emphasizes equity, equality, community cohesion, social
justice,and supporting human rights – especially the rights of marginalized
minorities. It seeks a just transition and serves the interests of all citizens, including
those yet to be born.
3. Planetary boundaries: A Green Economy recognises that all human flourishing
depends upon a healthy natural world. It defends nature's functions and limits, and
protects biodiversity, soil, water, air and other ecosystem capitals.
4. Efficiency & sufficiency: A Green Economy is low-carbon, diverse and circular. It
recognises that our single biggest economic challenge is the need to create

7
 prosperity within planetary boundaries, and align economic incentives with true
costs to society.
5. Good governance: A Green Economy builds institutions that combine dynamic
democratic accountability, relevant metrics, sound science, and local knowledge.
Civil life prioritises public participation, social dialogue, informed consent,
transparency, and accountability. (Global Green Growth Institute, n.d)

1.3 Current impacts of Green Economy in the world and typical models

1.3.1 The necessity of transition from “Brown Economy” to “Green Economy”

A Brown Economy, as defined in the preceding section, is one that is dependent on

fossil energy sources while disregarding social issues, environmental degradation, and
natural resource depletion. Moreover, the brown economy's point of view has caused
immense environmental harm, such as air pollution, water resources, oceans, land
degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and
climate change on a worldwide scale. (Reid, 2005) These effects have returned to endanger
human lives and stifle economic development.
Several significant environmental pollution cases have occurred throughout history,
notably "The Great Smog" in London (UK), which occurred from December 5 to 9, 1952.
With the rise of industry in the early twentieth century, London swiftly became a "factory"
of the globe. Coal-burning emissions are dumped directly into the environment without
any restrictions. This is one of the primary sources of London's dense "fog" during this
time period. The Great Smog, on the other hand, is considerably worse than anything the
city has ever seen. Yet, figures obtained by medical services revealed that the fog had killed
4,000 individuals in the weeks that followed. (Met Office, n.d) The fatality rate in London
increased during the week of December 5, 1952, with pollution killing hundreds who were
already compromised by respiratory ailments (Nielsen, 2002) For months after the fog,
mortality remained high. According to research released in 2004, the number of fatalities
was far higher than current estimates, at over 12,000 people (Bell et al., 2004)

8
Figure 1.3. Death rate in greater London
Source: Nielsen (2002)
"The Great Smog" is regarded to be the worst air pollution event in British history,
and the most significant in terms of its impact on environmental research, government
regulation, and public understanding of the link between air quality and health. It resulted
in a number of policy and regulatory measures, especially the Clean Air Act of 1956.
China's prior economic growth agenda is another demonstration of the repercussions
of a brown economy. The country has made great progress in prioritizing economic growth.
China overtook the United States as the world's largest economy in 2014, with a gross
domestic product (GDP) of $17.4 trillion, accounting for 16.5% of global GDP (IMF,
2014). Yet the country also needs to cope with the results of the brown economy, which is
environmental degradation and catastrophic ecological decline, which has taken place since
then. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution kills more than one million
people in China each year, with several of the country's largest cities continuously ranking
among the world's most polluted (WHO, 2016, p. 66). Furthermore, in a large-scale
assessment conducted in 2013, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection stated that
16.1% of the country's land area and 19.4% of the country's agricultural land were
contaminated with severe heavy metal toxicity (FAO & ITPS, 2015, p. 13). Almost one-
third of China's rivers and 60% of its groundwater are severely contaminated (Han, Currell,

9
& Cao, 2016). There are major implications of the brown economy that no country wants
to repeat.
The experiences of Britain and China have demonstrated the unpredictability of a
brown economy, which has significantly damaged the environment and people's quality of
life. Transitioning to a green economy, or ensuring sustainable development, is critical in
order to avoid the disastrous lessons of the preceding countries. The shift to a green
economy can help to mitigate the impacts of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and create a healthier environment for people and wildlife. It can also foster
economic growth, improve social equity and resilience, and promote sustainable
development.
1.3.2 Current impacts

The transition to a green economy ranges from each nation due to differences in
culture, location, disparities in natural resources, economic potential, and human resources.
Each nation will implement the green economy differently, but all have taken important
efforts toward attaining sustainable development in general and the transition to a green
economy in particular. The green economy has had a favorable impact on ecosystems, the
economy, and even human well-being.
1.3.2.1 Current impacts and potential of green economy on ecosystem
One of the objectives of the green economic system is improving the ecosystem.
According to the UNEP green transition scenario, natural capital accounts for around 0.5%
of total world GDP, approximately $325 billion. This transformation has had a good
impact, not only increasing the quality of life but also paving the way for long-term growth,
because natural capital is a vital supply of human nourishment and a consistent source of
employment creation.
The green economy has made significant contributions to decreasing deforestation
and expanding reforestation, consequently strengthening the economy and sustaining rural
agriculture. Deforestation is only about 10 million hectares per year from 2015 to 2020,
down from 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s. (FAO, 2020)

10
Figure 1.4. Annual rate of forest expansion and deforestation in 1990-2020
Source: Willige (2020)
While deforestation rates have declined during the last three decades, an estimated
420 million hectares of forest have been lost owing to conversion to other land uses.
Investing 0.03% of GDP between 2011 and 2050 in compensating forest landowners for
forest protection and private investment in reforestation might improve the value of forest
land in the forestry sector by more than 20% over regular operations. It might also expand
formal employment in the sector and greatly enhance carbon storage in forests. (UNEP,
2011)
The green economy also helps with green agriculture. Green farming approaches,
according to farm-level studies, can dramatically enhance yields, particularly on small
farms. Investments in green agriculture under the GER model of $100-300 billion per year
between 2010 and 2050 will result in enhanced soil quality and higher global yields for
important crops, representing a 10% increase over existing investment plans. The
agricultural challenge is to feed 9 billion people by 2050 without harming ecosystems or
human health in the face of rising average world temperatures. While not sufficient to
assure fair access for the needy, such expansion is required to solve the issue of feeding a
growing population. (UNEP, 2011)
1.3.2.2 Current impacts and potential of green economy on economy
In the years that followed, the green economy still had a positive effect in terms of
job creation, especially in developing countries. According to the International Labor
Organization, the transition to a green economy could create up to 24 million new jobs
11
worldwide by 2030. Moreover, allocating at least 1% of global GDP to improving energy
efficiency and expanding the use of renewable energy will create more jobs while
maintaining a competitive energy supply. Jobs in the renewable energy sector have become
very important, with an estimated 2.3 million people working directly or indirectly in this
sector worldwide in 2006 (UNEP, 2011).
In addition, renewable energy offers great economic opportunities. From 2002 to
mid-2009, total investment in renewable energy grew at an average annual rate of 33%.
Despite the global recession, the sector is booming. Investment in new clean energy in
2010 reached $200 billion, up from $162 billion in 2009 and $173 billion in 2008, a record
high of $180 billion.

Figure 1.5. Investment in sustainable energy, 2004-2009

Source: UNEP, 2011
Growth is increasingly driven by non-OECD countries, with the share of global
renewable energy investment rising from 29% in 2007 to 40% in 2008, with Brazil, China,
and India accounting for the largest shares. (UNEP, 2011). Renewable technologies
become even more competitive when considering the social costs of fossil energy
technologies. Some of it is deferred to the future. In this regard, the successful conclusion
of a global pact on carbon emissions and the consequent assurance that future carbon
markets and pricing exist are strong incentives for further corporate investment in
renewable energy.

12
 Another impact on the economics of the green economy is that it is more profitable
to recycle waste to recover energy. Waste can be turned into marketable products, as was
the case in the waste-to-energy (WtE) market, valued at US $20 billion in 2008 and grew
by 30% in 2014. Agricultural waste, mainly generated in rural areas, has reached 140
billion tons worldwide and has the energy potential equivalent to 50 billion tons of oil. In
the green economy scenario, all biomass waste will be composted or energy recovered by
2050 (UNEP, 2011).
1.3.2.3 Current impacts and potential of green economy on human well -being
Poverty may be decreased through growing Green Agriculture in developing
nations, with a concentration on smallholders. There are an estimated 525 million small
farms worldwide, with 404 million operating on less than 2 hectares of land. Greening
small agricultural areas by encouraging and spreading sustainable techniques may be the
most effective strategy to increase food production. Reduce poverty, enhance carbon
sequestration, and gain access to emerging worldwide markets for green products. Based
on statistics from Africa and Asia, it has been demonstrated that even little gains in
agricultural productivity directly contribute to poverty alleviation. (Irz et al., 1970)
Additionally, research has shown that transitioning farms to sustainable techniques results
in significant production benefits. An examination of 286 "best practice" programs on 12.6
million farms in the U.S. An assessment of 286 “best practice” projects on 12.6 million
farms in developing countries found that the adoption of resource conservation measures
resulted in an average yield increase of 79%, while also improving the supply of important
environmental services.
Next, tourism development when well designed can support the local economy and
reduce poverty. While the development of tourism comes with significant challenges - for
example, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, untreated water
discharge, waste generation, damage to biodiversity local terrestrial and marine studies,
and threats to the survival of local cultures and traditions – tourists are driving the greening
of the industry, reflected in the growth rate 20% annually of ecotourism; about six times
the industry growth rate. The greening of the industry is expected to strengthen the

13
employment potential of the industry with increased local recruitment and sourcing. In the
process of greening the tourism industry, increasing the participation of local communities,
especially the poor, in the tourism value chain is essential for local economic development
and poverty alleviation (UNEP, 2011).
1.3.3 Green Economy Models

The trend of developing a green economy is becoming more and more popular in
many countries around the world. Many countries have made great strides in developing
green economic models such as Thailand, Japan, China, etc. in Asia; Germany, England,
France, Netherlands... in Europe. These countries are pioneers in promoting green growth
with many important contents demonstrating their strong commitment towards a green
economy. There are some of the models that our team have found:
1.3.3.1 Thailand - Applying the green biological circular economy model
Model description
As a new economic model for inclusive and sustainable growth, the Bio-Circular-
Green Economic Model, or BCG, has been proposed by the research community and
supported by the Thai government. The model is also designed to be in line with the
Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), which is also the fundamental tenet of Thailand's
social and economic growth, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The BCG model is applied to promote four industries: agriculture and food; medical
and health; bioenergy, biomaterials and biochemistry; and tourism and creative economy
(NXPO). The BCG (2021-2026) will be based on 4+1:

14
 Figure 1.6. BCG model of Thailand
Source: Compilation by authors
In addition, the BCG strategic plans 2021-2026 include four strategies related to
promoting the sustainability of biological resources as well as the use of resource capital,
creativity, technology, and biodiversity. and cultural diversity to create value for products
and services, helping the community move up the value chain… (NOXP)

Model application
To warrant the success of the BCG model, the government’s role needs to be re-
defined and a policy needs to be clearly set to facilitate an integrated approach for the
implementation. For that reason, (MHESI, 2021) proposed paradigm shifts in the
government’s approach to BCG implementation as follows:
- Change from publicly led investment to enterprise-led investment by creating
an ecosystem to boost private investment.
- Change from cash-aid policy to investment policy.
- Change from an annual funding to a multi-year funding.

15
 - Change from funding individual projects to integrated projects –
encompassing the whole process from research, to development, innovation
and manufacturing – that will advance research to market.
- Change from traditional industry to s-curve industry, enabling Thai industry
to rely less on comparative advantage in labor cost and resources and earning
more with innovation.
- Change from externally dependent growth to strengthening the local
economy and connecting to the global economy.
- Change from individual actions to collective actions, employing the
quadruple helix model that engages all sectors – government, industry,
academia and people.

1.3.3.2 Germany - "Agenda 2030" framework

Model description
Germany, the OECD's third-largest economy, has taken the initiative to create
ambitious environmental regulations over the past few decades on a national and
international level. The country's strong environmental framework makes it not only a
pioneer in environmental protection and sustainable development, but also represents an
excellent example on how a cleaner low-carbon economy is compatible with growth.
In 2002, Germany adopted its National Strategy for Sustainable Development,
making sustainability a guiding principle for national policies. The Strategy is supported
by specific goals and sustainability metrics that are assessed in routine progress reports.
Major cross-cutting programs on biodiversity, climate change, energy, and resource
efficiency were also started in Germany.
In 2017, Germany has been implementing the 2030 Agenda as part of its
Sustainable Development Strategy. This strategy is continuously developed further - most
recently in 2020 through a broad-based and nationwide dialog process with the interested
public. The reformed version was adopted by the federal cabinet in March 2021. At this

16
year's HLPF, Germany will report for the second time on the implementation of the SDGs
in, by and with Germany in its Voluntary National Review.

Model application
The "Agenda 2030" framework, a comprehensive strategy for global sustainable
development that the United Nations adopted in 2015, serves as the foundation for the
German government's approach to sustainable development. Through a multidimensional
strategy that encompasses government action, commercial sector involvement, and civil
society engagement, Germany has committed to achieving global sustainable development.
In order to assist long-term development in a range of sectors, including energy,
transportation, agriculture, and waste management, the government has developed a
number of programs and regulations.
One of the key methods employed by the German government is the promotion of
renewable energy sources including wind, solar, and bioenergy. With numerous measures
in place to promote the creation and adoption of these technologies, Germany is a global
leader in renewable energy. The country, for instance, aims to have 65% renewable energy
in its electrical mix by 2030 and has a feed-in tariff program that promotes the use of
renewable energy sources.
The promotion of ecologically friendly transportation is another crucial German
government initiative. Germany has also set a target of lowering vehicle-related
greenhouse gas emissions by 40–42% from 1990 levels by 2030.
The government has additionally put in place laws to encourage sustainable
agriculture, such as organic farming and the use of renewable energy on farms. Germany
has set a goal of increasing organic farming to 20% of total agricultural acreage by 2030

17
CHAPTER 2: GREEN ECONOMY IN JAPAN

2.1 Rationality

Although the previous economic system had certain benefits in terms of boosting
people's living conditions, the negative implications of this system, known as the brown
economy, are severe.
In correlation with international provisions on developing sustainable and green
growth, adopting a new paradigm of development, which will not subject future
generations to substantial environmental risks, Japan has been developing its economic
policies in moderately aligning ways towards these targets. Japan has long been a set-
standard example of promoting and implementing energy strategy as the foundation for the
development of its green economy. We choose to look into the case of Japan for a deeper
understanding of its policies in promoting the green economy, which focus on Japan’s
energy strategy (primarily on eliminating energy deficit and, secondly, on greening the
sector). These showcases will provide insights into Japan’s unique framework/scheme, as
well-developed in Asia.

2.2 Green Economy policies

One of the seven initiatives of the New Growth Strategy announced by the Japanese
cabinet in 2010 was the Environment and Energy Superpower Strategy focused on green
innovation. The 2007 Strategy for an Environmental Nation in the 21st Century outlined
the construction of a "low carbon society," a "sound material-cycle society," and a "society
in harmony with nature," and economic-relevant policies and activities are being
implemented in these directions.
2.2.1 Natural capital developing policies in green economy - a “low carbon society”

2.2.1.1 A “low carbon society”

A “low carbon society” calls for a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
from fossil fuel consumption so that the greenhouse gas emissions of the world as a whole

18
will be at levels that can be absorbed by nature. These measures will enable lifestyles of
abundance while stabilizing the concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere at
levels that will not adversely impact climate.
2.2.1.2 The need for a “low carbon society”
As stated by the IPCC, "global warming is beyond doubt." As a result, there can be
no more waiting or postponing the need to address the global warming issue, and Japan
must do the same. In accordance with the Copenhagen Accord, Japan has given the
UNFCCC Secretariat the goal of a 25% reduction in emissions by 2020. It is vital to utilize
all available policy options in order to meet the 25% reduction objective during the next
10 years.
To achieve this, it is crucial for all Japanese citizens to band together and cooperate,
not to mention for industries.

2.2.1.3 Actions for a “low carbon society”

● Green Taxation for Climate Change Policy
Japan is one of the first Asian countries to implement a carbon tax. With a tax rate
of JPY2,89/ t-Co2 ($2.65). The greening of the tax system, including the handling of so-
called environmental taxes, is an important issue as well. Regarding individual indirect
taxes, the tax reform plan for FY2010 adopted the "good tax cuts and bad taxation" stance.
According to this strategy, tax burdens are reduced when certain commodities and services
have positive effects on the environment, human health, etc., and increased when negative
effects occur. The tax system as a reaction to international challenges was taken into
consideration using the "good tax cuts and bad taxing" theory.
Regarding the gasoline tax, local gasoline tax and light oil delivery tax, all imposed
on fossil fuels, provisional tax rates set in April 2008 to run for 10 years, were abolished
under the tax reform for FY2010. However, these tax rates were retained, for the time
being, in consideration of the strained state of public finance and the impact of fossil fuel
consumption on global warming. More specifically, while the higher provisional tax rates
were abolished, it was decided that tax rates of the gasoline tax, local gasoline tax and light

19
oil delivery tax would be maintained at the pre-reform levels for the time being. However,
parts of fuel taxes beyond the tax rates established by the main rules would be suspended
if the average benchmark gasoline retail price exceeded 160 for three consecutive months.
As part of efforts to make the tax system more environmentally friendly, graded multiple
tax rates were also developed for the automotive weight tax based on the environmental
costs of car bodies. The alleged "eco-car tax reduction" program was also kept in place.
Meanwhile, regarding overall environmental tax systems, in Japan, the ratio of
environmental tax revenues to gross domestic demand (GDP) is low relative to the ratios
in European countries. Concerning taxation for climate change policy, the Ministry of the
Environment convened the expert committee on green tax system and its economic
analysis, etc. of the Central Environment Council to deliberate on an economic analysis,
etc. of green tax system, including tax for climate change policy. In FY2009, the Ministry
of the Environment requested the creation of a tax for climate change policy, while the
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also asked for the consideration of a tax for
climate change policy. A supplementary provision of the law to partially revise the Income
Tax Act in FY2010 referred to the tax for climate change policy and said that “it shall be
considered for the time being, including the handling of a tax rate, in order to work out a
final draft toward implementation in FY2011.” Preferential measures for the promotion of
low emission vehicles and energy efficient homes were also incorporated in the FY2010
tax reform plan.
Further, the FY2010 tax reform plan called for consideration of the international
solidarity tax in order to resolve global issues. The international solidarity tax is drawing
attention as one measure to cope with global issues, including environmental problems as
well as the international financial crisis and poverty problems. Various taxation methods
are under discussion, including the method to tax international financial transactions to
secure resources for measures to deal with financial crises and to curb speculative
activities, and the method to tax cross-border transportation to secure resources for
development support in developing countries. The idea is spreading internationally, with
France, Chile and Korea already introducing the airline-ticket solidarity tax.

20
 Regarding the use of revenues from environmentally related taxes, it is noteworthy
that an economic model analysis conducted by the Task Force of the Ministerial Committee
on the Global Warming Issue found that if the climate change policy tax is introduced as a
levy on all carbon emissions based on the carbon content and revenues from the tax are
appropriated for measures to cope with global warming, the impact on real disposable
income would be reduced significantly compared with the case of all revenues flowing
back to the household sector.

● “Challenge 25”
Then-Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Japan's goal to reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from the 1990 level by 2020 at the U.N. Summit on
Climate Change in New York in September 2009. The goal is predicated on the creation
of an equitable and effective framework in which all major economies participate and agree
on ambitious targets. The "Challenge 25" is an initiative by the Japanese government to
use all possible policy measures to stop global warming, save Japan's environment, and
leave the planet to future generations.
On January 14, 2010, the government launched a popular movement for this
purpose, the “Challenge 25 Campaign,” calling on the Japanese people to practice specific
actions to reduce carbon dioxide. Well-known people playing active roles in various
quarters are also participating as a cheering squad for the campaign.
In tandem with government actions as described above, private-sector companies
and all other entities heightened their consciousness about global warming and began to
make various efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The “Survey on Environment-
Friendly Business Practices,” conducted by the Ministry of the Environment since FY1991,
shows that over nearly the past 10 years, the largest group of companies have “set forth
policies for efforts” to fight global warming and the ratio of such companies has continually
been increasing. The Ministry of the Environment also conducts the “Fact-finding Survey
on Environmentally Friendly Lifestyles” via the Internet for a questionnaire survey on
people’s awareness of environmental problems and their behaviors. In the survey results

21
of recent years, the largest group of respondents cited “global warming” as the area of
environmental issues they are most interested in, and the ratio of people giving this reply
has stayed in the range of 80-90%. These results clearly show people’s rising awareness of
global warming.

2.2.2 Produced capital developing policies in green economy - a “sound material-cycle

society”

2.2.2.1 A “sound material-cycle society”

A “sound material-cycle society” calls for reducing waste and recycling resources
through all stages of our socio-economic activities, including the collection of resources,
production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. This will minimize the extraction or
collection of resources, thereby lessening the burden on the environment as much as
possible.
2.2.2.2 The needs for a “sound material-cycle society”
The amount of global waste generation is increasing as the economy and population
continue to grow, all around the world, especially in Asia. A forecast on municipal solid
waste generation in the member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) (OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030) estimates that the total
waste generation in the OECD member states in 2005 was about 1.7 times the amount in
1980, and that the 2025 amount will be about 2.2 times the 1980 figure.
Japan faced serious waste management problems in the 1990s, such as a shortage of
final disposal sites and large-scale illegal dumping cases, all of which raised concerns about
environmental pollution. However, radical policy reforms implemented in the early stages
of these problems allowed Japan to become a world leader in the establishment of a SMC
Society by the early 21st century.
Based on such experience, Japan proposed the “3R Initiative,” aimed at
internationally promoting the establishment of a SMC Society through 3R activities.
2.2.2.3. Actions related to a “sound material-cycle society”

22
 At the G8 Summit held in Sea Island, Georgia, U.S.A. in June 2004, Japan’s Prime
Minister Koizumi proposed the “3R Initiatives” aimed at building a sound material-cycle
society through the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), winning the consensus of heads of
other nations. Based on this agreement, a ministerial meeting for launching the 3R
Initiatives was held in Tokyo between April 28 and 30, 2005.
Reducing means choosing to use things with care to reduce the amount of waste
generated. Reusing involves the repeated use of items or parts of items which still have
usable aspects. Recycling means the use of waste itself as resources. Waste minimization
can be achieved in an efficient way by focusing primarily on the first of the 3Rs, "reduce,"
followed by "reuse" and then "recycle."
To provide guidelines for Japan’s contribution to building a future framework for
the world, the Cabinet endorsed “Becoming a Leading Environmental Nation Strategy in
the 21st Century ~ Japan’s Strategy for a Sustainable Society” in June 2007, setting out the
direction of the environmental policies that Japan should implement in cooperation with
other countries. Particularly, this is focused on two objectives: creating an SMC Society in
Asia and advancing the 3R Initiative, a suggestion made by Japan, inside the G8. The
national strategy states that the following actions must be taken by Japan in order to
accomplish the first goal: disseminate Japan's 3R systems, technologies, and experience to
the international community; establish an international information center on the 3Rs and
common rules on the 3Rs; integrate Japan's accomplishments on sustainable resource
circulation with the creation of the East Asia Sound Material-Cycle Society Vision, which
outlines the ideals for the region's future; and promote the use of renewable energy sources.
Japan must help Asian nations become more capable of using and processing CR so
that they can apply the 3Rs and responsible waste management as a first step toward
creating a homegrown SMC Society. How to manage trash effectively, for instance by
building a public garbage collection system or by guaranteeing the hygienic disposal of
wastes, is a significant concern for many developing nations. The amount of garbage has
grown despite the development of waste collection and disposal systems, particularly in
metropolitan areas, in quickly rising economies, such as those of several typical East Asian

23
nations, necessitating the need to reduce waste output and recycle waste materials. In
addition, concerns about soaring resource prices and constraints on resource supply are
creating a growing need to use resources more effectively. This means that an essential
challenge for Asian countries is to step up their efforts toward responsible waste
management, while also promoting the 3Rs. Another important approach to the urgent
issue of global warming is to take measures that bring about co-benefits (measures that can
benefit both public hygiene and global warming issues) by promoting CDM (Clean
Development Mechanism) projects and other initiatives directed towards responsible waste
management and the 3Rs in order to prevent global warming.
Japan therefore plans to formulate an East Asia Sound Material-Cycle Society
Vision by 2012, stipulating the basic principles and targets for the development of an East
Asian SMC, as set forth in the Fundamental Plan for Establishing a SMC Society. To
achieve this goal, Japan is implementing several measures designed to improve East Asian
countries’ internal capability to responsibly use and process CRs. These measures include:
(1) Support for the formulation of national 3R plans and strategies
(2) Policy dialogue
(3) Construction of information centers and research networks for the 3Rs
(4) Technology cooperation and infrastructure development for the 3Rs and waste
management
(5) International promotion of 3R and waste disposal technologies
(6) Measures taken to address specific issues (using sanitation improvement as an
example)

2.2.3 Human and social capital developing policies in green economy - “a “society in
harmony with nature”

2.2.3.1 A “society in harmony with nature”

A “society in harmony with nature” calls for properly conserving biodiversity,
conducting socio-economic activities in harmony with nature, including agricultural,

24
forestry, and fishery operations that follow natural cycles, and creating various
opportunities and venues for us to experience and enjoy natural environments.
2.2.3.2 The needs for a “society in harmony with nature”
Since ancient times, forests have been featured in countless tales and artworks as
symbols of mystery and enchantment. The influence of forests on humans, animal and plant
life, and the Earth's environment has been enormous. For humans, forests are a kind of
lifeline. They supply wood and other resources indispensable to our everyday activities,
and provide spaces for rest and relaxation. For animal and plant life, forests nurture a great
many species, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity. This biodiversity, in turn,
leads to the creation of various terrains, landscapes and weather conditions around the
world. Maintaining the balance among these three characteristics of the environment
supports our lives and daily living.
For the over 10,000 years spanning from prehistoric times (the Jomon period:
14,000—300 BC) through today, the Japanese have looked at forests and the mountains
that nurture forests with reverence and awe. Japanese people have long appreciated the
presence of life in all aspects of nature—from landscapes and climates that change
seasonally to the plentiful freshwater found throughout the country. Their reverence for
natural life enables them to coexist with nature. As Japan is covered with an abundance of
trees, everyday life in Japan has relied closely on wood. Trees have also influenced
Japanese values. For example, from ancient times, Japanese people have loved plum and
cherry blossoms and appreciated their beauty by creating poetry (waka, haiku) about them.
To say that the origin of Japanese values and culture lies in Japanese people's close
relationship with nature would not be an overstatement.
Japan is one of the most forested countries in the world, having very favorable
geological and climatic conditions for forming abundant woodlands. Forests account for
nearly 70% (more than 25,000,000 hectares) of Japan's total land area of 37,790,000
hectares—a figure outstandingly high among industrialized countries. Furthermore,
Japan's forest areas have been maintained at a similar level for the past forty years. The
land area of Japan is relatively small, and Japan is said to be poor in natural resources.

25
However, Japan continues to enjoy the blessing of rich forest resources, beautiful
landscapes and biodiversity.
2.2.3.3. Actions related to a “society in harmony with nature”
The Satoyama Initiative is a global effort to realize "societies in harmony with
nature" through landscape approaches to biodiversity conservation and human well-being.
In particular, the focus is on the concept of "socio-ecological production landscapes and
seascapes" (SEPLS), meaning that sustainable management at the landscape level can help
to secure ecosystem services and conserve biodiversity, and therefore support well-being
for humans and nature. The Initiative was started through a joint collaboration between the
Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) and the United Nations University Institute
for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS).

2.3 Typical successful cases

2.3.1 Japan’s energy sector

It is the energy sector that is regarded as one of the key ones on the way to forming
a new model of economy as it is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. The
importance of this area is proven by the fact that two of 17 Goals in the field of sustainable
development for the period until 2030 are associated with the development of green energy
(7. Affordable and Clean Energy and 13. Climate action).
Japan's current energy policy is based on four basic principles called 3E + S: Energy
Security, Economic Efficiency, Environmental protection, and Safety.

26
Figure 2.1: Structure of primary energy supply in Japan
Source: Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy
Japan had 54 working nuclear reactors prior to the disaster (third place in the world
after the USA and France), providing over 25 percent of national electricity supply. The
disaster’s consequences made Japan modify its strategy of energy and environmental
security as well as temporarily halt nuclear power production. It is after 2011 that the
importance of renewable resources (RES) in the country’s energy balance began to increase
markedly. Yet, along with that, the use of coal and natural gas was growing even more
considerably. The dependence of Japan’s economy on mineral fuels increased from 81
percent in 2010 to 87 percent by 2017.

Figure 2.2 : Electric Power Generation in Japan

Source: Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy

27
 After Prime Minister Suga’s declaration of the aim of carbon neutrality by 2050,
the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) presented an important document,
Strategies for Green Growth together with 2050 Carbon Neutrality (SGG), in December
2020.
On October, 2021, METI released the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan, which proposes
to reduce the total primary energy generation and includes the following key changes in
2030 targets from the previous version of plan: increase in the use of renewables to 36%–
38%; reduction in reliance on oil and coal; and addition of hydrogen and ammonia to the
list of energy sources. The largest share of power generated with the use of RES in Japan
at the end of the second decade of the 21st century was that of hydro energy (7.9 percent),
the second place was occupied by solar energy (5.2 percent), the third – by biomass (2.1
percent); followed by wind (0.6 percent) and geothermal (0.2 percent) energy. According
to the Sixth Strategic Energy plan, the share of each of the above RES will have increased
by 2030. Japan was among the top five countries possessing the largest renewable power
capacity (not including hydropower) by the end of 2020. Japan also occupied the third
place by installed solar PV capacities, the tenth – by geothermal power capacities, the ninth
– by hydro power ones. These areas gained the most significant impetus in Japan [REN21
Renewables 2020, 2021]
Japan is one of the largest investors in RES – it took the third place in the world
after China and the USA over the period 2010-2019. Japanese investments grew from $7
bln in 2010 to $16.6 billion in 2019 reaching the peak of 36.2 bln in 2015.

28
Figure 2.3: Investments in RES, USD bln
Source: Frankfurt School-UNEP Centre/BNEF, 2020
As a promotion measure for the accelerating investments for RES, Japan, like many
other countries, introduced the system of feed-in tariffs (FIT). Under the feed-in tariff
scheme, the electric utility is obligated to purchase electricity from a renewable energy
producer at a fixed price for a long-term period guaranteed by the government.
The key change was to gradually develop a feed-in-premium (FIP) scheme, stimulating
electric power producers through the market price markup. The markup can be determined
in two ways: a) on the recommendation of the Purchase Price Computation Committee as
in the case with feed-in tariffs, and b) using the tender system. Meanwhile the reference
price will vary depending on the supply and demand balance on the market. This transition
is in line with the global practice as feed-in tariffs are subjected to criticism for placing an
excessive burden on consumers and taxpayers because the fixed price thwarts competition.
It is noteworthy that introduction of feed-in tariffs made a significant impact on RES
development in Japan.
Measures to raise energy efficiency are usually the most rational method of
“greening” the energy sector. Efficiency is widely interpreted as a ratio of some economic
result (GDP, a company’s production, etc.) to the costs in energy units (energy resources
consumption, electric power generation, power costs at an enterprise, etc.). However, the

29
reverse indicator – the energy intensity of the economy is much more often used in global
practice. The energy intensity of Japan’s economy is one of the lowest in the world. In
2019, Japan’s indicator was 2.7 times lower than that in Russia, 2.2 times lower compared
to the USA, and 1.6 times lower than that in China. The steps undertaken by the Japanese
government to increase the RES share and raise energy efficiency resulted in a situation
where the total amount of energy necessary to generate one unit of GDP showed a
downward trend in the second decade of the 21st century. Yet, Japan’s results proved to be
more moderate than similar indicators of some European countries, Germany in particular.

Figure 2.4: Energy intensity

Source: Enerdata
Japan’s policy of energy conservation is implemented through encouragement of
research and development in this field as well as the system of tax incentives and
preferential subsidies. For example, from one-third to a half of an enterprise’s investment
costs on introduction of energy saving equipment and technologies may be subsidized.
Companies with foreign capital also enjoy the right to these subsidies (Japan’s Ministry of
Economy and Trade appropriated some 700 mln yens for this purpose in 2017).
A set of measures has been designed to raise energy efficiency in the construction
industry and buildings operation as the bulk of houses consume energy inefficiently. Thus,
Japan’s government promotes an initiative of building Zero Energy Houses (ZEH). Energy
saving without sacrificing the comfortable habitat may be achieved through better thermal

30
insulation, highly efficient equipment, and RES.
Finally, for purposes of raising the economy’s energy efficiency and energy system
sustainability it is projected to set up a new type of the decentralized electric power system
with the intellectual distributed management achieved through energy transactions
between its users.

2.3.2 Japan’s environmental conservation agriculture (ECA)

The link between agriculture and climate change has been well-established for the
past decades. Japan has been determined that agriculture is one of the main drivers of
climate change and many interventions will be necessary to reduce its role in going beyond
the planetary boundaries.
In the field of agriculture, one of Japan’s main strategies to reduce its total emissions
is to support and promote environmental conservation agriculture (ECA), especially
through direct payment subsidies. Since 1992, Japan has taken initiatives to promote ECA
and sustainable farming nationwide, such as providing subsidies for agro-environmental
conservation activities and direct payments to eco-friendly farmers. In general, ECA is a
type of agriculture that aims to conserve the natural environment. It is formally defined as
“sustainable agriculture, taking advantage of the material circulation function of
agriculture, keeping in mind the harmony with productivity that takes into consideration
the reduction of environmental impact caused by the use of chemical fertilisers and
pesticides through soil management”.
ECA has been promoted not just in terms of chemical fertiliser and pesticide
reduction but also in biodiversity conservation. With ECA’s flexible scope, various forms
of agricultural methods can fall under it, such as special farming (which uses 50–80% less
pesticide and fertilizer than conventional farming), organic farming, and eco-farming
(environmentally friendly methods based on other standards, such as those set by local
governments or in accordance with consumer agreements, among others), which means
that the government can support more farmers. Furthermore, ECA diffusion can also
improve the efficiency of farming in Japan and the structure of agriculture. Despite the
31
proven benefits of ECA in mitigating climate change, a decrease in ECA utilization has
been observed in 31 out of 47 prefectures (65.9%) from 2016 to 2020. ECA drivers should
thus be identified and analyzed to ensure ECA’s sustainability in Japan.
Japan has been very active in the promotion of sustainable agriculture for several
decades, of which the preservation of traditional farming, agro-culture, and biodiversity is
highly valued. This enabled Japan’s different prefectures to apply and get designated as
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), defined as “outstanding
landscapes of aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural biodiversity, resilient ecosystems,
and a valuable cultural heritage”. The GIAHS sites provide livelihood and food security
for millions of small-scale farmers globally and contribute to producing sustainably
produced goods and services. The FAO has designated 62 systems in 22 countries since
2005 and is currently reviewing 15 new proposals from eight countries. At present, there
are 11 sites designated as GIAHS in Japan. These are in the prefectures of Ishikawa,
Niigata, Shizuoka, Kumamoto, Oita, Gifu, Wakayama, Miyazaki, Miyagi, and Tokushima;
especially Sado Island in Niigata prefecture, one of the first GIAHS sites designated in a
developed country.
In 2008, the “Sustainable Agriculture for Living Creature Project” was established
in Japan, and this was evident on Sado Island. During this time, there was a 50% reduction
in chemical pesticide and fertilizer input for around 77.6% of the Sado Island rice paddies;
moreover, 25% of the total paddy fields were engaged with the project by 2012. One of
the biggest reasons why ECA has been highly adopted and implemented on the island is
the preservation of the endangered Japanese crested ibises. The habitats of these birds are
wetlands, and the paddy fields enable these species to thrive after being restored through
extensive captive breeding programs. Local support was also received to improve the birds’
feeding grounds, namely: reduction of chemical pesticide and fertilizer input by at least
50%; use of compost; making canals to connect nearby waterways/rivers and paddy fields
for the free movement of fish/water animals; retaining water in the fallow paddy field in
winter; making biotope for biodiversity; making a ditch to collect water during the dry
season where living creatures survive; and conducting field surveys for species diversity
32
in the field.
Saodo Island was also able to obtain a rice certification with Tokimai branding in
2008, which enabled farmers to gain a reasonable profit for their harvest. Interestingly, rice
produced in fields that provide habitat to birds has the highest price among rice brands
produced in coexistence with living creatures. Another important aspect of farmers’
continuous ECA adoption is the community and government support. In terms of
consumers’ willingness to pay for eco-labeled rice, consumers in Osaka and Metropolitan
areas were more willing to pay for the Tokimai brand than general consumers, most
especially those who were concerned with safer cultivation methods and paddy field
biodiversity. Moreover, it was observed that consumers were willing to pay for the Tokimai
rice brand to support the conservation efforts on Sado Island.

33
CHAPTER 3: GREEN ECONOMY POLICIES IN VIETNAM

3.1. Current situation

In recent years, climate change in Vietnam has continuously set new records in
terms of temperature, rainfall, sea level, occurrence frequency and influence of super
typhoons, floods and storms, tropical depression, and so on. Vietnam is one of the countries
most heavily affected by climate change and sea level rise. This is considered a direct cause
of changes in the environment and the earth's ecology and is a risk of negative impacts on
the socio-economic development of all countries in the world. The World Bank estimates
that climate change will reduce Vietnam's GDP by 3.5% by 2050. For Vietnam, the shift
to a green economy and green growth is not only an inevitable choice but also an
opportunity to become a pioneer in the region, catching up with the development trend of
the world.
3.1.1 Demand for Green Economy in Vietnam

As the trade-off between business efficiency and "going green" becomes less
significant, Vietnam's economy and enterprises are accelerating toward green and
sustainable growth in line with mainstream global trends. Since the 1900s, Vietnam has
implemented strategies and policies for poverty reduction, human development and
sustainable development. In 2004, Vietnam issued the Strategic Orientation on Sustainable
Development (Vietnam's Agenda 21). Since then, many strategies, plans and regulations
have been issued and updated to balance economic benefits with negative externalities to
the environment.
In the face of environmental and social consequences, from developing the brown
economy, countries have gradually transitioned to a green economy - an economy that
cares about happiness, social justice, and the environment in addition to other benefits and
economic goals. Vietnam is no exception to this trend. Since joining the WTO in 2007,
Vietnam has become increasingly integrated into the global economy, which is both
beneficial and detrimental. The 2008 global financial crisis, combined with Europe's
escalating public debt, dramatically slowed Vietnam's then-rapidly developing economy.
34
Environmental experts have pointed out that, over the past 30 years, Vietnam's economy
has achieved important achievements, with an average economic growth rate of about 7%
per year. The risk of natural disasters each year causes a loss of 1.5% of GDP for the
Vietnamese economy. The reason for the increasing complexity of natural disaster risks
and the great impact on socio-economic life is due to climate change and increasingly
extreme and unpredictable environmental problems. At the same time, the process of
industrialization and urbanization has reduced natural resources and increased CO2
emissions. As predicted by the Energy Information Administration, CO2 emissions will
increase from more than 113 million tons in 2010 to nearly 471 million tons in 2030. These
days, most development activities are required to be green, including greening the
economy. In 2015, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP) published a series of publications titled “Greening of economic growth”
series introduced a way to greener economic growth, thereby officially defining a new
economic growth direction and calling on Asia-Pacific countries to abandon the "Grow
first, clean up later" approach. The green economy is human activities associated with
preserving natural resources and protecting the environment in contrast to the brown
economy which consumes a lot but is inefficient.
The value of environmental resources is something that the brown economic growth
model of many countries including Vietnam has ignored, and is not or little taken into
account in economic growth and development decisions. There have been calculations
about the value of environmental resource loss compared to GDP showing that the number
is not small, from a few percent to more than 10%. Experts from the World Bank, who give
a figure of 3-5% of Vietnam's GDP or the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,
said that for every 1% increase in GDP in our country, the damage caused by environmental
pollution will lead to a loss of 3% of GDP. This also means that if the old growth model is
maintained, the more economic growth (increase in GDP) increases, the greater the
cumulative environmental damage. Therefore, it is not sustainable. Loss, and damage to
the environment also directly affects people's lives, including from the living environment
such as air, clean water, food, fuel, and health, people's livelihood. There have been specific

35
calculations showing a direct relationship between people's quality of life and the quality
of the environment, according to which people have to spend more from the family budget
on medical examination and treatment because of a polluted living environment.
In our country, in the documents of the IX and X congresses, and especially in the
documents of the 11th Party Congress, the view of sustainable development is clarified. To
direct the successful implementation of the Development Strategy Socio-economic
development 2011-2020, our Party has proposed 5 development perspectives, in which, the
first point of view is: "Fast development is associated with sustainable development,
sustainable development is a requirement throughout the Strategy”. Therefore, the need to
develop a green economy in Vietnam is increasing when it can both ensure environmental
issues and natural resources and help develop a sustainable economy. Located in the most
dynamic development region in the world, Vietnam is converging favourable conditions
from natural and social conditions to guidelines and policies to greening the economy.
Over the past two decades, Vietnam has been heavily affected by climate change,
arable land degradation, storms, and floods, and one of the main reasons for that is the fact
that the percentage of forests is declining. Climate change affects all sectors and
occupations from agriculture, industry, agriculture, forestry, and fishery, to some areas of
labour and society in our country. Reducing people's livelihood, increasing hunger and
poverty. Vietnam cannot forever rely on international aid and loan packages if it wants to
develop the country sustainably. In addition to natural disasters and climate change, the
epidemic situation (avian flu, Covid-19 ...) has had a great impact on the country's socio-
economic development. Therefore, to meet the requirements of sustainable development
of the country, only green development, and green growth is the right and long-term choice.
Learning from the experiences of countries that have succeeded in the green economy
combined with flexibility in formulating policies to develop the structure of industries and
occupations and adjusting them to suit the politics, society, geographical location, and
culture of our country.

36
3.1.2 Feature of Green Economy in Vietnam

Different international institutions have introduced different characteristics and

natures of the green economy. Some common characteristics are: Green economy creates
conditions for sustainable development, and creates green jobs. The green economy is
energy saving, respecting planetary boundaries, and ecological limits. The green economy
provides equality, equity, and justice - between and within countries and between
generations, while improving governance and the rule of law including democracy and
community participation.
In Vietnam, the orientation towards the goal of greening the economy is expressed
through the "National Green Growth Strategy for the period 2011-2020 and a vision to
2050". Strategic tasks include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting greening
production, greening lifestyles, and sustainable consumption. This strategy has been
submitted to the Prime Minister for promulgation and is a comprehensive national strategy
for green economic development in our country today. Along with this strategy, the Prime
Minister has also approved the National Action Program on sustainable production and
consumption from 2021-2030 to exploit and use resources sustainably and in an
environmentally friendly manner. as well as create stable jobs and green jobs, thereby
promoting sustainable lifestyles and improving quality of life. Our country has promoted
the development of renewable energy and clean energy as well as improved the efficiency
of energy use in businesses and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and developed a low-
carbon society. Developing a green economic model is a global development trend and
needs the synergy of the whole society. The green economy not only brings happiness to
people, and stability to society, but also plays a role in reducing environmental risks and
ecological degradation. To develop this model synchronously, it is necessary to have a
harmonious combination between enterprises and policies and mechanisms of the Party
and State.

37
 3.1.2.1 Green Economy policies in Vietnam
The policy of sustainable development and green growth has been a topic of
discussion by the Party and the State for many years. Many policies are issued encouraging
our country to promote the development of renewable energy and clean energy as well as
improving the efficiency of energy use in businesses and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and developing a low-carbon society. The agro-forestry sector has also made
significant progress. Practical applications have brought many positive results such as good
agricultural practices, water-saving irrigation processes, etc. In addition, green lifestyles
and sustainable consumption are also adopted by consumers in purchasing and using
products.
● No. 153 (17/08/2004) - The strategic direction of sustainable development in
Vietnam
In 2004, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 153/2004/QD-TTg dated August
17, 2004, on the strategic direction of sustainable development in Vietnam (Agenda 21 of
Vietnam). The strategic orientation of sustainable development in Vietnam specifies that
sustainable development is an urgent need and an inevitable trend in the development
process of human society. Therefore, it was agreed upon globally that countries would
build an Agenda for development in each historical stage. In fact, many countries have
developed and implemented Agenda 21 on sustainable development. It is clearly stated that
the most important activities in the economic field are the implementation of “clean
industrialization” and the construction of “green industry”, namely:
(1) Change the production model and technology and consumption model towards being
cleaner and having a more environmentally friendly orientation based on the economic
usage of non-renewable resources, minimizing toxic and difficult-to-decompose wastes,
maintaining the lifestyle of individuals and societies in harmony, and being close to nature.
(2) Maintain fast and stable economic growth on the basis of constantly improving the
efficiency, scientific and technological content, economic use of natural resources, and
environmental improvement.

38
(3) Carry out sustainable agriculture and rural development. While increasingly
manufacturing goods in order to meet market requirements, hygiene and food safety must
be ensured, assuring conservation and development of resources such as soil, water, air,
forests, and biodiversity.
(4) Carry out sustainable regional development and build local communities with
sustainable development.
(5) Implement the process of “clean industrialization”, which means that right from the
beginning, industrial development must be planned with specific industry structures,
technology, and equipment to ensure environmentally friendly principles; developments
must also actively prevent and treat industrial pollution and build up a “green industry”.
The environmental standards should be included in the list of the most essential criteria for
selecting industries that need to encourage investment, production technology and
products, as well as planning industrial parks, export processing zones and building for
preventing, treating and controlling pollution.
● No. 432/QD-TTg (12/04/2012) - Vietnam Sustainable Development Strategy for the
2011-2020 period
On April 12, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 432/QD-TTg approving
the Vietnam Sustainable Development Strategy for the 2011-2020 period, which clearly
stated the following tasks: implementation of green growth strategy, ensuring low-carbon
economic development. Use energy economically and efficiently; develop clean energy,
and renewable energy to ensure national energy security. Gradually marketize energy
prices, and gradually increase the proportion of clean energy and renewable energy in total
energy consumption in Vietnam. Develop an environmental economic accounting system
and incorporate more environmental and social aspects into the national accounting
framework (SNA).
● No. 1216/QD-TTg (05/09/2012) on "National environmental protection strategy to
2020, vision to 2030" with a goal to 2020 "
On September 5, 2012, the Prime Minister signed and promulgated Decision No.
1216/QD-TTg on "National environmental protection strategy to 2020, vision to 2030"

39
with a goal to 2020". Control and limit the increase in environmental pollution, resource
degradation, and biodiversity loss; continue to improve the quality of the living
environment; improve capacity to actively respond to climate change, towards the goal of
sustainable development of the country" and the goal to 2030 is "Prevent and reverse the
trend of increasing environmental pollution and resource degradation" and biodiversity
loss; improve the quality of the living environment; proactively respond to climate change;
forming the basic conditions for a green, low-waste, low-carbon economy for the
prosperity and sustainable development of the country”.
The 12th Congress of the CPV reaffirmed the “rapid and sustainable development”
policy and green economy development, “ensuring rapid and sustainable development on
the basis of macroeconomic stability and continuous improvement of productivity, quality,
efficiency and competitiveness, developing harmoniously between breadth and depth,
paying attention to the development of depth; developing a knowledge economy and a
green economy.”
● No. 1393 / QD-TTg (25/09/2012) - National Strategy on Green Growth from 2011
to 2020 and vision to 2050
On September 25, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1393 / QD-TTg
approving the National Strategy on Green Growth from 2011 to 2020 and vision to 2050,
which put forward two strategic tasks:
Firstly, greening production; implementing a clean industrialization strategy
through reviewing and adjusting the existing sector plans, using economically and
efficiently natural resources; encouraging the development of green technology and
agriculture.
Secondly, greening lifestyles and promoting sustainable consumption, combining
traditional lifestyles with modern civilized facilities.
This is the first national strategy, comprehensive in the field of green economic
development in Vietnam. Green growth strategy is an important legal basis to develop
policies related to the green economy of Vietnam in the near future. Changing the green
growth model has become the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Vietnam as well as the

40
consistent policy of the Government. It is also a basic content of the current development
direction in Vietnam.
● No. 73 (26/08/2016) - Investment policy of 21 Target Programs for the 2016-2020
period.
On August 26, 2016, the Government issued Resolution No. 73/NQ-CP, approving
the investment policy of 21 Target Programs for the 2016-2020 period, including the Target
Program, which will respond to climate change and green growth. The objective of the
Program is to simultaneously implement measures to adapt to the impacts of climate
change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring the safety of human life and
assets. Implementing the National Strategy on climate change, the National Strategy on
green growth, and actively implementing Vietnam’s commitment to the international
community on protecting the Earth’s climate are also important objectives. The Program
set specific targets with the plan to plant and rehabilitate 10,000 hectares (ha) of coastal
mangrove forests and watershed forests to adapt to climate change by absorbing 2 million
tons of CO2 annually and creating a stable livelihood for the people. By 2020, the goal is
to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions from 8% to 10% compared to the 2010
level, reduce energy consumption per GDP from 1% to 1.5% per year, build a center for
research, training, application, and transfer of green construction technology in Vietnam
on a land area of 50 ha, and build up action plans on green growth at the sectoral, regional
and local levels.
● No. 2053 (28/10/2016) - Plan to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change
On October 28, 2016, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2053/QD-TTg on the
Plan to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change. The plan identifies five mission
groups: mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, preparing
resources, establishing Measurement, Reporting, and Verification systems (MRV), and
formulating and perfecting policies and institutions. For the two task groups, the plan is to
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change 38 out of 68 missions focus
on clean energy usage, green growth, restructuring of economic sectors, preventing and
mitigating natural disasters, and stabilizing people’s lives.

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 ● No.1658/QD-TTg (01/10/2021) - National Green Growth Strategy for the period
2011-2020 and a vision to 2050
No.1658/QD-TTg approving a national strategy on green growth in the 2021-2030
period, with a vision to 2050, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed the move as he
signed off decision No.1658/QD-TTg approving a national strategy on green growth in the
2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. The decision also stressed the fact that green
growth would accelerate the economic restructuring process along with revising the growth
model, in turn enhancing competitiveness and resilience against external shocks.
As the country sets sights on becoming a carbon-neutral and green economy, our
country targets to slash greenhouse emissions by at least 15% in 2030 against the level
recorded in 2014; and 30% by 2050. Other key targets include the proportion of renewables
out of total energy supplies of 15-20%; digital economy to make up 30% of the GDP; or
forest coverage of 42%. To realize these goals, Vietnam is set to continue promoting a
green economy and adopting a circular economic model by effectively utilizing natural
resources and energy based on the foundation of science and technology.
The strategy also places a strong focus on raising people’s living standards and their
resilience against climate change, ensuring fairness in the distribution of benefits from the
economic development process. By 2030, the human development index (HDI) would be
over 0.75 from the current 0.704, taking Vietnam to the group of countries with high human
development level set by the UN Development Program (UNDP); 100% of provinces/cities
would have air quality control program, and at least 70% of the population would use clean
water under standards of the Ministry of Health.
In this context, a modern and organic agricultural sector is essential to ensure social
welfare and sustainable development, along with speeding up the urbanization process
towards smart and sustainable cities with a high level of climate resilience. At the same
time, the Government would continue to finalize a framework on the adoption of principles
from the circular economy in the management of industrial parks or economic zones;
raising public awareness on green growth; promoting new business models under the green
economy.

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 In Vietnam, the orientation towards the goal of greening the economy is expressed
through the "National Green Growth Strategy for the period 2011-2020 and a vision to
2050". Strategic tasks include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting greening
production, greening lifestyles, and sustainable consumption. This strategy has been
submitted to the Prime Minister for promulgation and is a comprehensive national strategy
for green economic development in our country today.
For sustainable development and green growth, the Government identified:
Promoting the wider application of cleaner production; improving the efficiency of using
natural resources, limiting the increase of pollution, protecting environmental quality,
human health, ensuring sustainable development; Building a civilized, harmonious and
friendly consumer culture with nature; developing the market of ecological products and
community initiatives on production and sustainable consumption.
Along with this strategy, the Prime Minister has also approved the National Action
Program on sustainable production and consumption from 2021-2030 with the goal of
exploiting and using resources sustainably and in an environmentally friendly manner as
well as creating stable jobs and green jobs, thereby promoting sustainable lifestyles and
improving quality of life.
In addition to the above policies, the Prime Minister also promulgated the National
Target Program to respond to climate change for the period 2012 - 2015 (Decision No.
1183/QDTTg dated August 30, 2012); The Government issued Resolution No. 73/NQ-CP
dated August 26, 2016, approving the investment policy in target programs for the 2016-
2020 period, including the target program to respond to climate change and to respond to
climate change and green growth. At the end of 2016, the Prime Minister signed and
promulgated Decision No. 2053/QDTTg dated October 28, 2016, on promulgating the
implementation plan of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The above decisions have demonstrated the green economic development policy of
the Government of Vietnam with many specific goals, tasks, and solutions, serving as a
basis for Vietnam to develop a green economy implementation plan. As a result, the green
economy development policy is an important measure for implementing the sustainable

43
development policy that the Party set out in hopes of making the country more sustainably
developed on the basis of a close, proper and harmonious combination between economic
development and ensuring social progress and justice and environmental protection.
It can be affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam have seen the role of
sustainable development and green development and have made efforts to propose many
programs and plans for implementation. The Vietnamese State’s policy on green economy
development is clearly defined in the issued documents and is being implemented at all
levels. Through the National Strategy and Action Plan on sustainable development and
green growth, a green economy, and response to climate change, Vietnam has shown its
determination and action in developing a green economy associated with sustainable
development within the country. Thus, in the context of global climate change, green
economy development is the key to success, a breakthrough solution for Vietnam’s
sustainable development. A green economy will contribute to the successful
implementation of the targets, which are rapid and sustainable growth, ensuring social
progress.

3.1.2.2 Green Campaigns in Vietnam

Whether the green economy can succeed or not, besides external factors, depends a
lot on the cooperation between the government and the people. When people are aware of
the great benefits of the green economy and the harm caused by the brown economy, they
will take specific actions to green the economy in multi-sectors such as agriculture,
industry, service, or tourism. To raise people's awareness of the green economy, green
campaigns are indispensable because it has a strong and direct impact from images to
content to people.
Green campaigns are widely used to expose environmental issues to the public and
at the same time to inculcate awareness of green behavior on the environment. Green
campaigns have become a popular campaign, a new approach to green economic growth
to achieve comprehensive prosperity for countries.

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 Over the past two decades, Vietnam has been heavily affected by climate change,
arable land degradation, storms, and floods, and one of the main reasons for that is the fact
that the percentage of forests is declining.
In that context, the Tree Planting Festival - a beautiful tradition that was started by
the Prime Minister's initiative to plant 1 billion trees, has set a target of planting one billion
new trees in the 2021-2025 period. Particularly in 2021, the target of planting trees is 1.5
times higher, and from 2022 to 2025, two times higher than the implementation result in
2020. Besides, there is also the campaign 'Million trees - For a green Vietnam' which also
received a strong response from the people. The results of the campaign in 2022 are
impressive by only achieving twice the number of planted trees compared to the previous
year, but also strongly spreading the message of "planting forests to save water" through
the vibrant activity.
The program "Million trees - For a green Vietnam" has ended its second year with
a series of meaningful activities. Learning from the program last year, this year, the
program has developed a specific implementation plan for each activity, so it has achieved
the results as set out. 60,000 trees have been planted in the watershed areas of Dak Lak and
Dak Nong provinces. At the same time, the tree care plan after planting is also clearly
organized, demonstrating the best growth and development of the plants.
Accompanying activities with the program such as photo and video clip contests,
green commitment campaigns, green action, and online jogging, and walking tournaments
also showed strong influence. specifically, the photo contest "Million trees" has 1,510
entries (reaching 100.67% of the target), the video clip contest "Million trees" attracted 205
entries from contestants across the country; The campaign Green commitment, green
action has 108,944 participants (reaching 435.776% of the planned target in 2022), 44,587
virtual trees were planted (reaching 445.87% of the plan target). ; The online running and
walking tournament "Million trees - For a green Vietnam" has attracted more than 8,897
registrants (reaching 435.776% of the target), and the number of trees accumulated from
the run also exceeded the plan with more than 38,000 trees. These two campaigns are also

45
a demonstration, which shows the goal of sustainable development is one of the core goals
of Vietnam's economic and social development.
Green consumption is already quite popular in developed countries and has made
initial strides in developing countries as personal income and consumption consciousness
increase. Consumers are concerned about the environment, attaching more importance to
environmentally friendly buying behavior. Environmental experts see green consumption
as a measure to "save the earth" against the bad changes in the global living environment.
Therefore, the trend of producing and using environmentally friendly products is expected
to grow strongly in the coming time.
Vietnam is continuing the momentum of innovation, accelerating the transformation
of the growth model in depth, promoting quality and efficiency, and doing its best to
recover from Covid-19. Thanks to a solid foundation, Vietnam's economy has shown
remarkable resilience in times of crisis, most recently the Covid-19 pandemic. GDP growth
slows to 2.58% in 2021 due to the arrival of the Delta variant but is expected to recover to
6.7% in 2022.
3.2 Opportunity and challenges of Green Economy

3.2.1 Opportunities

● Domestic factor:
Vietnam is located in the most dynamic developing region in the world (Southeast
Asia), facing the East Sea - one of the world's most vibrant maritime routes; close to
Northeast Asia - the region that is pioneering green growth in the world (Japan, Korea).
Stable political background, friendly society, a population of nearly 90 million people, in
which the labor force participation rate is high, the literacy rate is high, the people are
smart, moderate, hard-working, are the driving force to make breakthroughs in economic
development. The natural geographical location and high biodiversity open up
opportunities to develop a number of spearhead green economic sectors, and at the same
time develop and use renewable energies, such as wind energy, and solar energy. The
natural landscape is rich with many areas recognized as natural heritages of the world,

46
cultural traditions, history imbued with national identity,opening up opportunities to
develop recreational tourism and build a cultural industry.
Over the past years, Vietnam has been proactively putting a lot of effort into
implementing various activities both for responding to climate change and for heading
towards green and sustainable development. At the 26th United Nations Climate Change
Conference (COP26), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made strong commitments about
“net-zero” emissions by Vietnam by 2050, thereby opening up opportunities for
cooperation on low-emission growth, promoting circular economy, adapting to climate
change, creating favorable conditions for Vietnam to develop rapidly and sustainably. A
National Steering Committee for the implementation of Vietnam's commitments at COP26
has been established with the participation of multiple Ministries and agencies (including
the SBV) with very specific programs, tasks and objectives. According to the 5-year report
on the implementation of the Green Growth Strategy of the Ministry of Planning and
Investment, there have been many positive results of the making policies to the public's
awareness about green growth:
Firstly, establishing a system of legal documents for the implementation of green
growth. On June 3, 2013, the Central Committee of CPV issued Resolution No. 24 /NQ-
TW in response proactively to climate change, strengthening management of natural
resources and environmental protection. This Resolution has the tasks: focus on promoting
the transformation of the growth model that is associated with restructuring the economy
towards green growth and sustainable development.
The National Assembly has also promulgated, or supplemented, amended a number
of laws related to green growth such as: Law on using Energy economically and
Efficiently; Law on Natural Disaster Prevention; Law on Environmental Protection
(amended); Hydrometeorology Law. Some new legal documents have been made to
promote the implementation of activities which are related to green growth. Specifically:
In the industrial field: Planning of electricity industry, power plants, industries and
sub-sectors, especially which have strong impacts on the environment for sustainable
development, using natural resources economically, controlling pollution and managing

47
waste efficiently. Especially, the Renewable Energy Development Strategy has been made
to 2030 with a vision to 2050; Making a legal framework for using energy in production
and life economically and efficiently;
In the field of agriculture: Law on Irrigation, Fisheries Law, Law on Forestry and
the guiding documents and regulations on the "green" standards for agricultural, forestry
and fishery production that were issued and applied which have effects for production
and business.
In the field of construction: Construction Industry has issued Action Plan for
reducing the emissions of greenhouse gas in cement production to 2020 and orientation
to 2030; National Urban Upgrading Program for the period of 2009 - 2020; National
strategy for management of solid waste until 2025 with a vision to 2050; Vietnam green
growth for urban development plan to 2030; Regulations on urban targets for green
construction…
In the field of transportation: In response to the Green Growth Strategy, together
with other ministries, the Ministry of Transport have issued action plans to reduce CO2
emissions in Vietnam aviation activities in the period of 2016-2020.
In the field of finance: The banking sector has developed and issued a Scheme on
the development of green banks in Vietnam, following closely the Government's policy in
the Green Growth Strategy for the 2021 - 2030 period, Vision to 2050; issued the Action
Program of the banking sector to implement the National Green Growth Strategy;
developed Circulars and created a legal framework related to the provision of credit by the
credit institutions; paid high attention to the environmental and social risk management in
the provision of credit, gradually increasing the proportion of green credit outstanding
balance for the economy. In addition, the SBV has proactively discussed with the
international financial institutions and various foreign banks, such as the World Bank
(WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the French Development Agency (AFD), the
Banking Working Group (BWG), etc., in order to review and consider the ability to
mobilize resources for green and sustainable development goals. In Directive No. 03/CT-
NHNN dated March 24, 2015, the State Bank of Viet Nam has requested commercial banks

48
to prioritize green credit for projects with clear objectives on environmental protection, to
encourage environmentally friendly business practices. With this orientation and roadmap
of the SBV and the continuous efforts of the credit institutions, green credit has been
making positive developments, and is getting more and more attention, with the investment
limits increasing day by day.
Secondly, making a plan for actions of green growth. Through the making and
promulgating active plan for green growth of ministries and localities, institutional
improvement activities and implementation of the Green Growth Strategy are
implemented. It is shown that by the end of 2018 there are seven ministries that have issued
the Green Growth Action Plan. Until now, the whole country has 34 provinces and the
Central Government cities making and implementing provincial level Green Growth
Action Plans.
Thirdly, reduce the intensity of emitting greenhouse gas and increase the rate of
using renewable energy. The implementation of solutions to reduce the emissions of
greenhouse gas have been widely implemented in all fields. According to the Institute of
Energy,Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has reached 5.65% of saving energy in
the period of 2011 - 2015, which is equivalent to the total saving energy of nearly 11.3
million tons of oil (TOE). The intensity of energy in industries which consume much
energy is decreasing, such as: Steel industry decreased by 8.09%; cement decreased by
6.33%; textile fibers decreased by 7.32%.
Fourthly, strengthening the greening production activities. The content of greening
production is to implement a strategy of "clean industrialization" through reviewing and
adjusting existing sectoral plans, using natural resources economically and efficiently,
encouraging development of green industry and agriculture with technologies, equipment,
etc., to ensure environmental principles, investment for developing natural capital,
preventing and treating pollution.

● Foreign factor:
A World Bank (WB) representative told GEFE 2022 participants that the Bank will

49
accompany Vietnam in calling for European investment, support European investment in
Vietnam's green industries, and provide green finance to support green economic
development goals.
Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and
Fisheries, said Europe is very interested in green growth and sustainable development and
the forum is an opportunity for Vietnam to strengthen its cooperation with the European
Union. Through dialogue, governments and businesses can jointly find solutions for
sustainable growth, he said.
The EU is willing to join Vietnam in fighting climate change, reducing fossil energy
consumption and plastic waste, recycling waste into clean energy, building a safe food
chain, practicing green agriculture, and minimizing the use of pesticides and emissions in
production activities and logistics, textile and garment, leather and footwear, wood,
equipment and machinery, and telephone industries.
+ Funds Through ADB (Asian Development Bank) for Carbon Finance, Adaptation, and
Environmental Initiatives

50
Figure 3.1: Funds Through ADB (Asian Development Bank) for Carbon Finance,
Adaptation, and Environmental Initiatives
Source: ADB database
+ Globally Available Funds and Facilities for Carbon Finance, Adaptation, and
Environmental Initiatives

51
52
Figure 3.2: Globally Available Funds and Facilities for Carbon Finance, Adaptation,
and Environmental Initiatives
Source: ADB database

53
3.2.2 Challenges

Beside bright spots in green growth achievements, the transformation of the

economy towards new development also faces some difficulties. Firstly, the awareness of
some ministries, agencies and local authorities on the Green Growth Strategy are unclear.
As mentioned above, by the end of 2018, only 7 ministries and 34/63 provinces and cities
issued plans to implement the Green Growth Strategy. It is shown that concretizing the
National Green Growth Strategy is not a mandatory task that needs to be prioritized by
ministries, and localities.
Nguyen Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Electricity and Renewable Energy
Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said in line with draft Power
Development Planning (PDP) VIII, the country will not develop new coal-fired plants after
2030. The proportion of coal-fired power in the overall power capacity will fall from 25.7%
in 2030 to 9.6% in 2045 through the transfer of biomass and other clean energy. He
emphasized that developing the industry toward sustainable energy and ensuring an
adequate and stable supply of electricity at a reasonable price is always a challenge for
developing countries, including Vietnam.
Secondly, the projects in relation to the National Green Growth Strategy have
been implemented by ministries and localities, and are based on the financial and technical
support of international organizations, Non-governmental organizations which have not
derived from capacities of these institutions. According to Nguyen Thi Hong, Governor of
the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), to promote green growth in the 2021 – 2030 period, the
country will focus on promoting resources from commercial loans and private investment,
along with preferential policies on tax and official development assistance (ODA). One of
the challenges for the implementation of credit for green projects is that Vietnam does not
have specific criteria and a list of green projects for different industries as the foundation
for credit institutions to determine credit granting for the next period, she was quoted by
Cong Thuong (Industry and Trade) newspaper as saying. Hong noted that investment in
green fields, especially renewable energy and green buildings, often requires a long

54
payback period and large investment costs, while loans from credit institutions are usually
short-term capital, making it difficult for them to balance capital as prescribed.
Thirdly, at present, there are still conflicts and overlapping goals among
strategies: Sustainable development strategy; National strategy on responding climate
change; Green growth strategy, etc.,
Fourthly, the resources for implementing the Green Growth Strategy are
currently unclear, especially in the context of economic recession and the reductions
of public investment. Moreover, the economy is relying on the exploitation of natural
resources as the main, the industries causing environmental pollution are accounting for a
large proportion in the economy, the production technology in Vietnam today compared to
the world is mainly old technology, outdated, consuming energy, but changing technology
in production is not an easy process to do right away.
Fifthly, although there are integrations of the Green Growth Strategy into local
socio-economic development plans, many localities in Vietnam are facing the challenges
because of the lack of specific and feasible solutions for their situations.

3.3 Recommendations for Viet Nam

3.3.1 Critical comparison between Japan and Vietnam:

● Strategy:
In this section, we will compare Vietnam and Japan based on two main criteria,
including goal and main sector of the strategy:
In terms of goals, in Viet Nam, the overall goal of the strategy is that green growth
contributes to promoting economic restructuring with the innovation of growth models.
This serves for the achievement of economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and
social equity towards a green and carbon-neutral economy and contribution to the reduction
of global temperature rise. The specific objectives are (1) reducing greenhouse gas
emissions per GDP, (2) greening economic sectors, (3) greening lifestyle & promoting

55
sustainable consumption, and (4) greening transition process based on the principle of
equality and inclusiveness and enhancement of resilient capacity.
Japan promotes the green growth strategy (December 2020) as a national strategy
to achieve the 2030 GHG reduction target of 46% (compared to 2013) (NDC) and to realize
‘carbon neutrality by 2050’.
Regarding main sectors, in Viet Nam, the strategy orientates on the following major
sectors: (1) energy efficiency, (2) organic and modern agriculture, (3) minimization of high
emission sectors and promotion of new green manufacturing sectors, (4) sustainable
infrastructure in transport, irrigation, energy sector, (5) resilient, sustainable, smart
urbanization, (6) new rural development in harmonization with nature, (7) enhancing
management of waste and air quality management, (8) promoting green consumption, (8)
enhancing management of water resources, land, and biodiversity, and (9) green transition.
Japan's green growth strategy sets 14 areas as key development industries, including
offshore wind power, hydrogen, nuclear power, automobiles and batteries, semiconductors,
and information & technology. It also presents action plans in the key 14 areas such as
R&D, demonstration projects, introduction expansion, and self-reliance/commercialization
according to the growth stage of each area.

● Policy:
Both countries have introduced a lot of policies to support the development of a
green economy. In areas such as energy, industry, construction,... both countries have
policies that are not too different. However, in the financial field, while the policies in
Vietnam in helping and supporting the development of the green economy are still unclear,
Japan has a very clear and effective legal framework. , we can mention such as "Green
Taxation for Climate change policy" whose goal is to reduce taxes when certain
commodities and services have positive effects on the environment, human health, etc.,
and increase tax when negative effects occur.

● Campaign

56
 With respect to section 3, we can see that Vietnam has many campaigns and plans
to promote and support green economic development, for example the Green commitment
campaign has brought a lot of benefits. many positive results. On the Japanese side, they
have also launched the “Challenge 25” campaign with the goal to reduce its greenhouse
gas emissions by 25% from the 1990 level by 2020 at the U.N. This Japanese campaign
has also brought some results, but has not really met the goals set out at the beginning.

3.3.2 Critique for Vietnamese Green Economy practices

Firstly, from an economic perspective, Vietnam's view of the green economy, in

general, is a way to promote sustainable economic development based on sustainable
factors. This process must take place in a harmonious and reasonable manner, suitable to
the conditions and circumstances of Vietnam, that is, it must be adjusted gradually (what
is still must be promoted but in the direction of saving and using more efficient resources,
sustainable environmental protection; minimizing negative impacts on employment and
income of workers in order to avoid causing social conflicts); to make the traditional
economy more environmentally friendly, reduce reliance on unsustainable factors (such as
finite resources) and gradually increase sustainable factors (based on geo-political
position). , knowledge economy, science - technology, consumption, investment, export,
landscape, culture, tradition, people,...) for development. In other words, it is the economic
restructuring in the direction of narrowing the "brown economy" area, expanding the
"green economy" area on the basis of promoting different potentials, outstanding
opportunities and other comparative advantages.
Secondly, from the perspective of environmental management, economic growth
under the green economic model must ensure a balance between the requirements of rapid
economic growth with the requirements of saving and more efficient use of natural
resources. nature and environmental protection, especially in the process of accelerating
industrialization and modernization, through the process of: Focusing on developing and
innovating production technologies towards environmentally friendly, low-carbon;

57
formulating and implementing a roadmap to limit the use of fossil energy, develop clean
energy, renewable energy, and improve energy use efficiency; strengthen state
management in resource management, environmental protection, waste treatment,
response to climate change,...
Thirdly, from a social perspective, green economic development is the process of
linking economic growth with ensuring social progress and justice. Vietnam is carrying out
the process of ensuring economic growth associated with hunger eradication and poverty
reduction, social progress and justice, while implementing the program to build new rural
areas and perfect the social security system. Social welfare and social welfare,... At a higher
level when approaching a green economy means that we have to green our lifestyles and
promote sustainable consumption, only then new market orientation (promoting green
consumption) and thereby orienting production activities (green production).
In order to transition to a green economy, it is required that Vietnam implement
synchronously a number of solutions, such as propaganda, economic restructuring,
building a legal environment, promoting technological innovation, and developing the
industry. environmental services, development of clean energy sources, building human
consciousness... In which, special emphasis is placed on resource solutions because of the
process of renewing the economic-oriented growth model. Green at its core is the process
of both improving the efficiency of the traditional economic sectors (avoiding socio-
economic disturbances) and transferring resources to new effective fields. more
economical, more environmentally friendly and ensure more sustainable development.

58
 CONCLUSION

This study attempted to provide an overall understanding of the various mechanisms

and policies for green economies within Japan and Vietnam. In conclusion, it is possible to
infer that the green economy policies in Japan are complex and advanced. Furthermore,
Vietnam may learn a lot from Japan's green economy policies about how to develop its own
green economy in the future. Although well-researched, this study has a number of
limitations. The biggest limitation may be the differences in development status that favour
Japan and Vietnam; whereas Japan is a developed nation with a sound economic position,
Vietnam does not share this status. The political importance of the green economy is
relatively strong in Japan, but it does not appear to be the case in Vietnam, which is another
element. It would be essential to conduct thorough research on this topic. Given the
aforementioned restrictions, more research is required. Even so, it is of the utmost
importance for the current state of Vietnam's green economy to take the first step to
approach the Japanese practices by incorporating the sustainable development concept into
its economy.

59
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