Pollution reduction needs to be comprehensive, not localized.

Ho Chi Minh City plans to establish a low emission zone (LEZ) from 2026, restricting vehicles exceeding emission standards from entering the central area with the expectation of improving air quality, reducing urban pollution and promoting green transportation. However, if placed in a practical context and carefully analyzing the impacts, it can be seen that this is not necessarily a necessary and effective solution, and even has the potential for unintended consequences.

First of all, we need to look directly at the nature of air pollution, which is a cross-border and cross-regional phenomenon. Emissions, fine dust or pollutants do not stop at administrative boundaries but spread by wind, weather and terrain. Therefore, even if emissions are tightened in the central area, if the surrounding areas are still polluted, the amount of toxic substances will still flow in, reducing the overall efficiency. In other words, LEZs are not sure to improve the air quality index in the center.

The creation of control zones can also lead to inequality in environmental management. Because when high-emission vehicles are banned from the city center, they will concentrate their activities in the outskirts, where residents have less protection and environmental infrastructure is weaker. As a result, pollution is not eliminated but simply “compressed” to other areas; at the same time, people and businesses that depend on moving through the city center will have difficulty making a living. Thus, instead of addressing the root cause, this policy unintentionally shifts the problem from one place to another.

To achieve the net-zero target, we need a comprehensive approach that covers the entire emissions chain, from energy, production, distribution, consumption to lifestyle. The first thing to discuss is the transition to renewable energy, because currently the majority of Vietnam's electricity still comes from thermal power plants, unlike many developed countries that have the conditions to generate electricity from nuclear power or renewable energy with a high proportion.

Thermal power plants, which mainly use coal, emit large amounts of carbon during the electricity production process. This means that although electric vehicles have low direct emissions, increased electricity consumption still indirectly increases the operation and emissions of thermal power plants. In the context of limited renewable energy and the Ninh Binh nuclear power plant project is only in the initial stage, the greening of transport needs to be carried out in parallel with the greening of the energy sector to ensure real efficiency.

In the greening of transportation, focusing on the supply side will be more effective than the demand side. It is necessary to design vehicle production standards in the direction of raising emission standards for manufacturers, while clearly defining the responsibility for vehicle recall after a certain period of use. At that time, the market will completely eliminate highly polluting vehicles, while substandard vehicles will be recalled by manufacturers at a reasonable price.

For polluting vehicles in circulation before the take-back mechanism is applied, the State can provide financial support to manufacturers or establish a public unit to purchase and recycle old vehicles. This approach helps balance the interests of people and manufacturers in the greening process, thereby creating incentives for people to be willing to change their behavior. At that time, economic leverage measures such as tax incentives and green credit support will be effective, while administrative orders should only play a supporting role, not the mainstay of the policy.

Instead of considering LEZs as the “main weapon” to fight pollution and green traffic, Ho Chi Minh City can consider moving towards the net-zero goal by taking a holistic approach, using levers to promote sustainable behavioral change. The goal is not just to clean up a few central streets, but to improve air quality for the entire city and the whole country, so that everyone, whether in the center or the suburbs, can breathe the same clean air. Only with that approach can we protect the environment, ensure social equity and long-term effectiveness.

Dr. HUYNH THANH DIEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/giam-o-nhiem-can-tong-the-khong-the-khoanh-vung-post811496.html