Page 155 - Ebook HTKH 2024

THE GREEN GROWTH FROM THE INTERNATIONAL LAW’S

PERSPECTIVE

Ngon Chu Hoang
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Abstract: The concept of green growth was first propagated by the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in 2005, and recently, this term has become increasingly
popular in international agreements. Most bilateral or multilateral agreements signed related to
economics and trade almost always include commitments regarding the environment and refer to green
growth, indicating a profound awareness of the relationship among nations—countries' concerns about
environmental issues on a global scale. Indeed, just in the past few decades, humanity has faced the
severe consequences of natural disasters, extreme weather phenomena, and climate change, prompting
a reminder of the need to move towards sustainable development goals. It is not only about economic
growth but also about keeping the Earth green. For all these reasons, green economic growth that
promotes economic and trade activities in tandem with environmental protection responsibilities has
become a priority for all countries. In this study, the authors will (1) approach the term green growth
from the perspective of international law; (2) highlight the legal basis for implementing green growth
in practice through correlating the content of green growth with existing legal mechanisms; (3) based
on that, provide some analyses, comments, and forecasts regarding the objectives of green growth from
the perspective of international law.
Key words: Green growth, International law, FTA, EVFTA, CPTTP

1. Introduction
The concept of green growth was first introduced by the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in 2005, and recently, this term has
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become increasingly popular in international agreements. Today, the term green
growth is no longer unfamiliar to the public. In the media, green growth sometimes
appears as a slogan, strategy, or program of nations; in international agendas on the

environment or development, green growth is mentioned as a political statement, a
commitment made by politicians; in other cases, the content of green growth serves as
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legally binding provisions recorded in international treaties.
It is important to emphasize that in just a few decades, humanity has faced severe
consequences from natural disasters, extreme weather events, and climate change,
reminding us of the need to pursue sustainable development goals. This includes not
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only economic growth but also keeping the Earth green. For all these reasons, green
economic growth, which promotes economic and trade development alongside
environmental protection responsibilities, has become a priority for all nations.
Therefore, although the term green growth does not yet have a unified definition and

57 Faculty of Law, Hanoi Open University, Email: hoangnc@hou.edu.vn
58 Tomonori Sudo (2016). On the Concept of Green Growth and the Role of Policy and Public Finance, JICA
Research Institute, International Cooperation Strategy towards Green Growth, No.118.
59 UNEP (2013). The Role of Legal Instruments to Support Green Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient
Development, A Guidebook on Assessing, Selecting and Implementing Legal Instruments,
https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/publications/LECRDS_Legal_Guide.pdf, accessed 8 Aug 2024.
60 https://vneec.gov.vn/tin-tuc/international-cooperation/t14150/green-growth--trend-in-the-world-and-in-viet-nam.html
accessed 10 Aug 2024.
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