Vietnam has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but climate activists still want the Vietnamese government to change its environmental policies and significantly reduce the country's reliance on coal.
Human Rights Watch has accused Vietnamese authorities of using a "vaguely worded tax code" as a weapon to punish environmental leaders whom the ruling party deems "a threat to their power." Amnesty International's Ming Yu Hah called for international pressure on Vietnam to stop hounding people who are campaigning for "one of the most seismic issues of our time."Bill Hayton, associate fellow at Chatham House Asia-Pacific in London, said activists tend to "tread on important toes."
But questions remain over the growing coal industry in Vietnam, home to the world's 19th-biggest known coal reserves."If Vietnam is to meet the conditions set by the initial JETP agreement, all coal-fired power stations not yet under construction must be canceled," Hummer said.