Environmental Governance and Green Economic Development in Vietnam: A Policy Analysis

Abstract

Vietnam’s transition toward a green economy has become a strategic policy priority as the country seeks to sustain growth while responding to climate change, pollution, resource degradation, and changing requirements in global markets. This article analyzes the relationship between environmental governance and green economic development in Vietnam through a qualitative policy-analysis approach. It examines the evolution of Vietnam’s legal, strategic, institutional, and market-oriented governance instruments, including the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP, the National Green Growth Strategy for 2021–2030 with a vision to 2050, the National Action Plan on Green Growth, the National Strategy for Environmental Protection, the updated Nationally Determined Contribution, the Scheme for Circular Economy Development, the revised Power Development Plan VIII, the green taxonomy, and the domestic carbon-market framework. The article argues that Vietnam has moved from a primarily administrative model of environmental management toward a broader governance framework that links environmental protection with economic restructuring, energy transition, circular economy, green finance, and climate commitments. However, the effectiveness of this transition depends on implementation capacity, regulatory coherence, environmental data quality, enterprise readiness, local enforcement, credible financing mechanisms, and public participation. The article concludes that Vietnam’s green economy agenda should be understood not only as an environmental policy project but also as an institutional transformation requiring stronger coordination, transparent market mechanisms, and accountable implementation.