From today’s planning to a Net Zero Hai Phong

Hai Phong is seeking public feedback on the city’s Master Plan to 2050, with a vision to 2075. Among the issues drawing attention, developing a green, worth-living city that can adapt to climate change and achieve the net-zero emissions target is no longer a distant prospect.

Hai Phong is entering an unprecedented period of development in terms of both spatial scale and growth drivers. The city has the advantages of a port city, industrial center, logistics hub and marine economy, while also having substantial room for developing urban areas, services and high-tech industries. But behind this growth is mounting pressure on urban infrastructure, energy, transportation and the environment.

Under its green transition orientation, Hai Phong aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 43.5% by 2030 compared with 2020 and achieve and maintain net-zero emissions by 2045. These figures show that the targets have been established. But turning those targets into reality depends more importantly on how the city organizes its development space.

Planning therefore has particular significance. A new road does not merely create additional connectivity; it also determines traffic flows and emissions for many years. A new urban area needs more than housing; it must also have public transportation, greenery, water bodies, schools, services and public spaces. If these elements are not incorporated from the outset, addressing them after the urban area has taken shape will be difficult and costly.

In recent years, the city has devoted substantial resources to parks, flower gardens and public spaces. Over five years, the city has put 16 new parks and flower gardens into use and launched an additional 33 projects with total investment of more than VND 1 trillion. These green spaces not only beautify the city but also provide places for community activities, improve the environment and contribute to quality of life.

A Net Zero Hai Phong also needs a reliable data system to identify where emissions are coming from, which sectors are responsible for them and how much has been reduced. What has not been measured cannot be reduced. The effectiveness of the green transition cannot be assessed without specific figures on energy, transportation, waste, wastewater and emissions from each sector. This is also where planning and urban governance must come together. Every investment decision and every spatial development project needs to be considered from the additional perspectives of emissions and climate change adaptation.

Hai Phong has particular advantages in this regard. The city has the sea, a network of rivers, estuarine areas, Cat Ba Island and valuable ecosystems. If properly protected and restored, these are not only environmental assets but also part of the city’s resilience and carbon absorption capacity.

The road to Net Zero will certainly not be easy. The city cannot simultaneously pursue rapid growth, expand industry, develop seaports and urbanize rapidly without facing trade-offs involving energy, land and the environment. Net Zero does not mean slowing development. Therefore, Net Zero is not a story for 2045 alone. It begins with the decisions made today.

HAI MINH