Vietnam and Norway commit to 'Green Voyage' initiative, forward to net-zero emissions by 2050
WVR - The Norwegian Pavilion was officially inaugurated at the International Exhibition on Shipbuilding and Offshore Technology (Vietship 2025), held at the National Convention Center in Hanoi on March 5, 2025.
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| Vietnam and Norway delegates cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony. (Source: Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam) |
The opening ceremony was attended by Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken, Commercial Counselor and Director of Innovation Norway Karin Greve Isdahl, along with representatives from seven Norwegian companies across the maritime industry’s value chain.
In her opening speech, Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Solbakken stated that the Pavilion is not only a place to showcase advanced maritime solutions and technologies but also opens up opportunities for knowledge exchange, business network expansion, and discussions on collaborative efforts to reduce carbon footprints in Vietnam and globally.
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| The Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam, Mrs. Hilde Solbakken. (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
According to the Norwegian Ambassador, the shipping industry currently accounts for about 3% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions. In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set the goal to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping to zero by 2050.
TheNorwegian Ambassador also affirmed that as two maritime nations, oceans indeed connect Vietnam and Norway, as well as bilateral trades, paving the way for green maritime cooperation and creating sustainable livelihoods for coastal residents.
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“Navigating a green voyage is our mutual interest, and we look forward to new partnerships established between Vietnamese and Norwegian companies”, she added. At the event, Norwegian Commercial Counsellor and Director of Innovation Norway, Mrs Karin Greve-Isdahl, noted that “green, smart, innovative” are the keywords to characterise Norway's maritime solutions, which help the country take the lead in the development and application of eco-friendly shipping technologies.
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| Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken gave an interview to The World and Vietnam Report. (Photo: Phuong Thao) |
According to the Norwegian Commercial Counsellor at Vietship 2025, Norwegian companies will tell stories about their achievements in the maritime sector while also setting ambitious goals for emission reduction, leading in the manufacturing of low and zero-emission vessels, and developing a comprehensive maritime ecosystem.
In an interview with The World and Vietnam Report, Ambassador Hilde Solbakken emphasized Norway’s significant progress in developing green technologies, ranging from the electrification of short ferry routes to the research and application of new fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia.
The Ambassador also expressed her delight at Vietnam’s official membership in the Green Voyage program, an initiative co-launched by the IMO and Norway in 2019. She highlighted the substantial potential for further cooperation between the two countries, particularly in sharing expertise and developing strategies for a sustainable maritime industry.
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| The Norwegian Pavilion at the Vietship 2025 exhibition. (Photo: Phuong Thao) |
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