THE HANOI TIMES — Younger generations must raise their voices and actively engage in shaping their future, as they bear the brunt of climate change impacts, asserts Ly Nhac Linh, Project Operations Manager at ActionAid Vietnam.
In an exclusive interview with The Hanoi Times, Linh stressed the urgent need for youth to have a more prominent and direct role in climate action initiatives.
“Vietnamese youth consistently advocate for a genuine mechanism to participate in climate processes,” she stated. “This participation must be institutionally and financially assured, ensuring their voices are not only heard but translated into concrete actions.”
Her perspective aligns seamlessly with Vietnam’s core strategy for climate response: establishing frameworks where youth engagement is a fundamental responsibility within climate governance, rather than a mere symbolic gesture.
Education, Financial Empowerment, and Policy Integration
Ly Nhac Linh, Project Operations Manager at ActionAid Vietnam, shares insights on youth opportunities and challenges in climate adaptation. Photos: Hoang Nam/The Hanoi Times
“Strengthening climate education is essential as the bedrock for long-term transformation,” Linh emphasized. “Education is the nexus where awareness meets innovation, empowering young people to comprehend climate risks and devise effective solutions.”
Among ActionAid Vietnam’s initiatives to foster environmental and climate education is asaplearn.org, Vietnam’s pioneering e-learning platform offering environmental education in local languages.
The platform has engaged over 12,000 young participants, predominantly Vietnamese. More than 100 youth-led projects have been implemented, ranging from waste reduction campaigns to community-based adaptation models in flood-prone regions.
Currently, the platform has expanded across Southeast Asia, dismantling language barriers that often hinder inclusive climate learning. By 2028, ActionAid Vietnam aims to engage 50,000 young people, positioning education as a catalyst for a just and green transition.
Young delegates engage in a working session, discussing climate change response, sustainable development, and green transition.
ActionAid Vietnam and its local partners have also launched several environmental and social projects to enhance community awareness of climate change.
In June 2025, ActionAid Vietnam, the Vietnam Aid for Social Protection Foundation (AFV), and Kinh te & Do thi (Economic & Urban) Newspaper planted 2,025 white mangrove trees in Lai Hoa Commune, Can Tho, to protect coastal dikes, prevent erosion, and preserve land.
Earlier, in August 2024, the “Action for a Green Vietnam” program planted approximately 160,000 trees in Ca Mau, Quang Nam, and Dak Nong provinces, including 120,000 mangroves in Ca Mau to combat coastal erosion.
In March 2024, ActionAid Vietnam and ChildFund Korea initiated a project in Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces for 2024–2026, promoting low-emission agriculture, solid waste management, and biogas use.
Linh highlighted financial empowerment as another critical factor, proposing a Youth-led Initiative Fund to support young people in developing and managing community-based climate projects.
“The fund would be transparent, co-managed by youth and government representatives, and accessible to groups in remote or vulnerable regions,” she explained.
“This proposal draws from Vietnam’s experience,” she added.
Over the past few years, ActionAid Vietnam has supported over 100 youth initiatives focusing on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and disaster preparedness. Many began locally but later sparked national discussions on community resilience.
“A formal funding mechanism would establish a lasting structure for youth leadership,” the ActionAid Vietnam representative noted.
Nguyen Viet Linh, a student at the Vietnam National University of Forestry, echoed this sentiment. He emphasized the need for clear and binding mechanisms to ensure youth involvement in environmental and climate policymaking.
He advocated for youth quotas and structured consultation processes within frameworks such as the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the National Green Growth Strategy, and Vietnam’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
“Young Vietnamese are increasingly proactive in joining international peers in climate action and environmental protection,” Viet Linh observed.
Vietnamese Youth Contributions at YouthCOP Bangladesh 2025
Nhac Linh and Viet Linh were among the Vietnamese delegates who contributed ideas at the Youth Conference on Climate Change (YouthCOP) Bangladesh 2025, held ahead of COP30 in Belem, Brazil, in November.
Vietnamese youth joined regional peers in shaping a shared vision for climate justice, focusing on education, innovation, and institutionalized participation in policymaking.
Held in early September in Dhaka, YouthCOP Bangladesh 2025 brought together hundreds of young people from across Asia to share ideas for a just transition.
Their contributions reflected Vietnam’s growing awareness that youth must transition from advocacy to influence, as well as the country’s practical experience and long-term vision toward achieving Net Zero by 2050.
Representing ActionAid Vietnam, Nhac Linh described the event as a commitment to meaningful engagement.
Nguyen Trung Hoang Nam and Nguyen Hoang Huy, young journalists from Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper, expressed deep gratitude and honor for participating in YouthCOP Bangladesh 2025, where they represented Vietnamese youth and shared ideas for climate action, sustainable development, and green transition.
Speaking for the host country, Nazmul Ahsan, Lead for Youth and Climate Justice at ActionAid Bangladesh, noted that YouthCOP has become a national platform connecting policymaking with youth participation.
He highlighted that young people from the most climate-affected areas are now recognized as active contributors shaping national and global strategies.
Through discussions and simulations, he added, YouthCOP has fostered a new generation of young negotiators who understand both the science and politics of climate decisions.
Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, emphasized the importance of examining International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings through a gender lens to ensure fairness in the climate transition.
She noted that Bangladesh’s experience demonstrates that inclusive leadership can drive more equitable outcomes.
Kabir also highlighted that YouthCOP has encouraged hundreds of young women to engage in community-level climate projects, making gender justice a key part of the country’s transition.
“The true measure of youth participation is whether it leads to policy change,” Linh from ActionAid Vietnam remarked.
Her comment resonated throughout the event, underscoring the need for transparency and accountability in how governments integrate youth voices into national and international climate agendas.
By combining learning, leadership, and advocacy, Vietnam’s delegation demonstrated that young people can be strategic partners in the fight against climate change.
Their contributions at YouthCOP Bangladesh went beyond sharing success stories, offering practical pathways to make youth participation systemic, effective, and future-oriented.
|
Highlights from YouthCOP Bangladesh 2025 • Hosted by ActionAid Bangladesh and the Brighters Society of Bangladesh, YouthCOP 2025 took place from September 6 to November 8 in Dhaka. • The event gathered hundreds of young people from across Asia to discuss just transition, gender justice, social inclusion, and climate finance. • Vietnamese delegates participated in panel discussions, mock negotiations, and youth demand roundtables, sharing experiences from Vietnam’s climate initiatives. • The Vietnamese delegation visited the ActionAid Bangladesh headquarters and historical landmarks such as Lalbagh Fort. • The conference concluded with the Youth Demand Charter, a joint declaration to be presented at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, from November 10 to November 21, 2025. |
Vietnam and Japan Strengthen Collaboration for Cultural Industry Growth
Vietnam and Japan are forging stronger ties in the development of cultural industries, recognizing culture as both a cornerstone of spiritual enrichment and a powerful catalyst for sustainable growth.
Breathing Life into Hanoi: “Clean Air for a Blue Sky” Event Strengthens City’s Green Pledge
THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi has pledged to collaborate with state agencies and international organizations to enhance air quality management, aiming to create a green, clean, beautiful, and livable capital where residents can enjoy fresh air, according to Nguyen Manh Quyen, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee. Speaking at the “Clean Air for a […]
5th OWHC Asia-Pacific Regional Conference Wraps Up in Hue
The Organisation of World Heritage Cities – Asia and the Pacific (OWHC-AP) successfully wrapped up its fifth Regional Conference on October 16 in Hue City, after three days of insightful and productive discussions.
UNESCO Embraces Vietnam’s Vision: Launching the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development
The UNESCO Executive Board has unanimously endorsed Vietnam’s groundbreaking initiative, urging the United Nations to declare an “International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development,” slated for 2027–2036.
Hanoi Intensifies Efforts to Combat Sex Selection and Advance Gender Equality in 2026-2030
THE HANOI TIMES — In a bold move to foster gender equality and ensure sustainable development, Hanoi is intensifying its efforts to combat sex selection. The city’s initiatives aim to stabilize population dynamics and secure a balanced future workforce. Local authorities are ramping up legal education and awareness campaigns targeting individuals of reproductive age, particularly […]
