Vietnam Set to Open Domestic Carbon Credit Exchange Before End of June

Vietnam is preparing to launch its domestic carbon credit trading exchange by the close of June 2026, VnEconomy reported on 23 June. The initiative is anchored in the country’s 2020 Environmental Protection Law, which designates the carbon market as a primary instrument for fulfilling Vietnam’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The exchange will enable trading in both greenhouse gas (GHG) emission allowances and carbon credits, with the stated aims of lowering compliance costs for covered entities and stimulating investment in cleaner technologies and energy efficiency.

To prepare for the opening, the Department of Climate Change — part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment — has signed formal cooperation agreements with the Vietnam Stock Exchange (VNX), the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (VSDC), and the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX). Under the government-approved operating model, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will administer the national registry for GHG allowances and carbon credits; VSDC will perform custody and clearing functions; HNX will organize and run the trading system; VNX will supervise market activity; and a designated settlement bank will handle cash transactions. Decree No. 29/2026/NĐ-CP provides the primary legal foundation for the exchange’s structure and operation.

Officials from multiple agencies acknowledged both progress and continuing complexity. Hoàng Văn Thu, Vice Chairman of the State Securities Commission, indicated that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment had jointly completed the legal and IT infrastructure needed to run the exchange in line with the government-mandated timeline. Nguyễn Tuấn Quang, Acting Deputy Director-General of the Department of Climate Change, characterized the establishment of a domestic carbon market as a novel and complex undertaking, calling for sustained, real-time coordination among regulators, infrastructure operators, service providers, and market participants — with particular emphasis on information security and timely resolution of operational issues as they arise.