Vietnam and Japan agree on environmental cooperation and farm trade priorities
The countries also signed a marine policy memorandum, while agricultural talks targeted market access for pomelos and grapes for the 2027 crop.
Vietnam and Japan exchanged an environmental cooperation memorandum on November 9 in Tokyo, setting out eight priority areas that include emissions reduction, carbon markets, recycling and pollution control, according to VNA. The exchange took place during Vietnamese leader To Lam’s official visit to Japan from November 8-11.
Vietnamese Agriculture and Environment Minister Trinh Viet Hung and Japanese Environment Minister Sasagawa Hiroyoshi witnessed the exchange. Their ministries will pursue the priorities through training, feasibility studies, policy discussions, exchanges of experts and technology transfer, seeking participation from businesses and research institutes.
Separate environmental talks identified carbon-credit projects involving renewable energy, waste treatment and low-emission agriculture as priorities. These are linked to finalising rules for the Joint Crediting Mechanism under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. Officials also discussed using AI and remote sensing to monitor environmental conditions.
Hung sought Japanese technology to treat rice straw after harvesting. Vietnam generates about 61 million tonnes annually, with nearly half coming from the Mekong Delta. The discussions covered recovering energy and dealing with ash and slag from combustion.
A second memorandum, on marine and ocean policy, covers research, spatial planning, ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of resources. Vietnam proposed cooperation for 2026-2030 involving digital maps, ocean databases, AI-based management, deep-sea surveys, blue carbon research, marine waste control and responses to oil spills. Offshore renewable energy surveys are another focus.
In Yamanashi prefecture, the Vietnamese delegation and local authorities agreed to strengthen farm trade, research into plant varieties, training and technology transfer. They prioritised finishing access procedures for Vietnamese pomelos and Japanese grapes, aiming for sales in each other’s markets for the 2027 crop. Vietnamese passion fruits and Japanese peaches would follow for consideration.
About 60 representatives of companies and regulators attended a related trade conference in Yamanashi to examine import requirements, exchange market information and find partners.
