Beyond Hanoi: Vietnam’s Air Pollution Needs a National Fix

By Thang Do

Key Insights‍ ‍

·         Up to 65% of Hanoi’s air pollution comes from outside the city.

·         Current urban measures are necessary but insufficient on their own.

·         Agriculture and informal recycling are major, under-regulated sources.

·         Vietnam’s carbon market (2025–2029) is a critical policy lever.

·         A coordinated national strategy is essential for lasting impact.

A city crisis with national roots

Hanoi is now as known for its air pollution as for its cultural heritage. In 2024, former Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski cited pollution as a reason for ending his posting early, a sign of growing concern among both foreigners and locals.

PM2.5 levels regularly exceed safe limits, particularly in winter months. The impacts are no longer abstract: air pollution is a public health risk, an economic cost, and a reputational challenge for Vietnam.

Why Hanoi alone cannot solve it

Vietnam has taken decisive steps, including plans to phase out petrol motorbikes from 2026 and restrict charcoal stoves and open burning. These are important — but incomplete.

Air pollution crosses boundaries. An estimated 40–65% of Hanoi’s PM2.5 originates outside the city, driven by:

·         Rice straw burning, contributing over 10% of pollution

·         Agricultural emissions from fertiliser use and livestock

·         Informal recycling villages using outdated technologies

·         Continued reliance on coal under Power Development Plan 8

Without tackling these sources, city-level measures will deliver only limited gains.

A narrow window for reform

Vietnam is entering a critical policy phase. Alongside transport and energy reforms, the country is developing a national carbon market under Decree 06/2022, with pilot implementation from 2025 to 2029.

This is a pivotal opportunity. Carbon pricing can shift incentives across sectors that are otherwise hard to regulate, especially agriculture and informal industry.

What needs to change

Three priorities stand out:

1. Scale policy beyond Hanoi
Air quality management must extend across the Red River Delta, with coordinated regional action.

2. Target overlooked sectors
Agriculture and recycling villages require incentives, not just regulation — including support for alternatives to straw burning and cleaner technologies.

3. Use markets to drive change
The carbon market should be leveraged to reward emission reductions, enabling farmers and businesses to benefit from cleaner practices.

At the same time, investment in public transport, grid infrastructure, and energy storage is essential to sustain progress.

From local challenge to national strategy‍ ‍

Hanoi’s air pollution reflects deeper structural issues in Vietnam’s economy — from how energy is produced to how agriculture and informal industries operate.

The solution is not simply stricter urban policy, but system-wide reform.

Vietnam already has the building blocks. The challenge now is to connect them into a coherent strategy that aligns climate, health, and economic goals.

Clean air in Hanoi will ultimately depend on decisions made far beyond its city limits.

This Policy Insight builds on an original article by a VPS expert published in East Asia Forum.

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