Farmers in the south-eastern province of Bình PhÆ°á»›c have begun to harvest cashew but are facing poor yields and low prices. The country’s largest cashew growing province had off-season rains when the cashew trees were blooming or just beginning to fruit, damaging them. The nuts are now bought for VNÄ26,000 – 27,000 (US$1.1 – 1.2) a kilogramme, down VNÄ3,000 – 4,000 from a year ago. Net-zero carbon emissions to create sustainable production, consumption in Viet Nam At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Viet Nam committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to Nguyen The Chinh, director of the Environmental Economic Policy Institute, the commitment will be an important turning point for the country’s restructuring to gain a low carbon and green economy, which will also help the country achieve rapid and sustainable development as per the Party’s policies. According to NIKE Inc’s chief sustainability officer Noel Kinder, by 2030, NIKE’s commitment is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 per cent in its owned or operated spaces, and by 30 per cent across its extended supply chain. Footwear in Viet Nam could be produced by using clean energy, he suggested, adding the construction of a greener electricity system will also contribute to creating many quality jobs. Manufacturers in Viet Nam are also applying greener criteria such as low-carbon materials, decarbonisation of supply chains and 100 per cent use of renewable energy in their production process. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is currently drafting a national green growth action plan for the 2021-30 period, with a vision to 2050, to submit to the Government. The plan, which will be a premise for the net-zero carbon emission roadmap, provides orientations for building and implementing a circular economy model in industrial parks and craft villages. The ministry expects the plan would open up opportunities for the development of green industries such as environmental consulting; environmental pollution control; waste management, recycling and reuse; and low-carbon goods and services.