Environmental protection principles and policies according to Vietnamese law

About Environmental protection principles are stipulated in Article 4 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 as follows:

1. Environmental protection is the right, obligation and responsibility of every agency, organization, community, household and individual.

2. Environmental protection is a condition, foundation, central and prerequisite factor for sustainable socio-economic development. Environmental protection activities must be linked with economic development and resource management and be considered and evaluated during the implementation of development activities.

3. Environmental protection is harmoniously linked with social security, children's rights, gender equality, ensuring everyone's right to live in a clean environment.

4. Environmental protection activities must be conducted regularly, publicly and transparently; Prioritize forecasting and preventing pollution, incidents, environmental degradation, managing environmental risks, minimizing waste generation, increasing reuse and recycling of waste to exploit resource value of waste.

5. Environmental protection must be consistent with laws, natural characteristics, culture, history, market mechanisms, and level of socio-economic development; promote the development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

6. Agencies, organizations, communities, households and individuals who benefit from the environment are obliged to contribute financially to environmental protection activities; causing pollution, incidents and environmental degradation must pay, compensate for damage, remedy, handle and bear other responsibilities according to the provisions of law.

7. Environmental protection activities ensure that they do not harm national sovereignty, security and interests, and are associated with regional and global environmental protection.

The State's policy on environmental protection is stipulated in Article 5 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 as follows:

1. Create favorable conditions for agencies, organizations, communities, households and individuals to participate in implementing, inspecting and monitoring environmental protection activities.

2. Propaganda and education combined with administrative, economic and other measures to enhance compliance with laws on environmental protection and build a culture of environmental protection.

3. Focus on preserving biodiversity and protecting the natural heritage environment; exploit, rationally and economically use natural resources; developing clean and renewable energy; Developing technical infrastructure to protect the environment.

4. Prioritize the treatment of environmental pollution, restore degraded natural ecosystems, and focus on protecting the environment of residential areas.

5. Diversify investment capital sources for environmental protection; arrange separate expenditures for environmental protection in the state budget with gradually increasing rates according to the state budget's capacity and environmental protection requirements and tasks; Prioritize funding sources for key environmental protection tasks.

6. Ensure the rights of organizations, communities, households and individuals contributing to environmental protection activities; incentives and support for environmental protection activities; Promote environmentally friendly products and services.

7. Strengthen scientific research and develop technology for pollution treatment, recycling and waste treatment; Prioritize the transfer and application of advanced technology, high technology, environmentally friendly technology, and the best available techniques; Strengthen human resource training on environmental protection.

8. Honor and reward agencies, organizations, communities, households and individuals that make positive contributions to environmental protection activities according to the provisions of law.

9. Expand and strengthen international integration and cooperation and implement international commitments on environmental protection.

10. Implement investment project screening according to environmental criteria; Apply appropriate environmental management tools according to each stage of strategies, planning, programs and investment projects.

11. Integrate and promote circular economy and green economic models in building and implementing strategies, planning, plans, programs, projects, and socio-economic development projects.