Vietnam Economic Times July 27 2026

Dear readers,

Vietnam’s carbon exchange was officially launched on June 29, marking a milestone in its efforts to develop a green, low-carbon economy on the way to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, which it committed to at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) held in Glasgow, UK, in 2021.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions involves cutting emissions such as CO2 and methane into the atmosphere to slow down global warming. This process therefore needs the collective effort of the world as a whole and widespread international cooperation, with specific responsibilities and commitments from every country and territory.

According to the International Carbon Action Partnership’s Status Report 2026 on Emissions Trading Worldwide, 41 emissions trading systems (ETS) are now in force worldwide, covering 26 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and jurisdictions operating an ETS together account for 63 per cent of global GDP and more than half the world’s population - placing carbon markets at the center of the global economy. Three new national-level systems are being launched this year, in Vietnam, Japan, and India, with more in the pipeline, reflecting the growth of emissions trading across diverse economies and development contexts.

Actively participating in carbon markets is no longer simply an option and has become a mandatory requirement, primarily for Vietnam to gradually and effectively fulfill its emission reduction commitments, while also helping its businesses maintain their competitive advantage in the context of export goods facing the burden of costs from international green technical barriers and the risk of being excluded from global supply chains if they do not meet green criteria. Furthermore, the carbon market is “key” to attracting high-quality FDI and tapping into green financial resources.

Like other markets, the carbon market features both sellers and buyers. In the global market at this time, China (CCER), Japan (J-Credit), South Korea (KOC), and California in the US (Compliance Offset) play the role of large-scale domestic carbon credit issuers. Meanwhile, the leading carbon credit consuming markets are the EU and the US, with large corporations purchasing voluntary carbon credits to fulfill their carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions commitments.

According to the Wealth Management Report Vol. 10 from the Saigon - Hanoi Securities Joint Stock Company (SHS), published in April 2026 and entitled “The Carbon Credit Market - Vietnam on the Net-Zero Race,” Vietnam, along with Indonesia, Brazil, Kenya, and India, plays the role of a country supplying carbon credits to the international market, with significant potential in forests, land, and renewable energy to develop carbon credit projects.

Thus, international cooperation on the carbon market is established as one of the leading factors in balancing supply and demand for market development, with the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions, a result that brings envi-ronmental benefits not only for an individual economy but for the entire world.

The importance of international cooperation on carbon credits was further discussed at a forum with the theme “Promoting Cooperation on Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes Towards the Implementation of National and Corporate Emission Reduction Commitments,” organized on July 23 by the Department of Climate Change at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the Vietnam Economic Association.

To further amplify the outcomes of the forum, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on analyzing Vietnam’s international carbon credit cooperation policy, with experts evaluating the overall situation of the domestic carbon market, from the operation of its carbon exchange to its links with international carbon markets, as well as prospects for international cooperation on carbon credits, based on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change, which facilitates international cooperation to tackle climate change and to unlock financial support for developing countries.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD