Impacts of Climate Change Commitments under the CPTPP and the EVFTA on Vietnam’s Environmental Regulations

Many free trade agreements (FTAs) have been signed in recent years with the aim of facilitating trade and investment in different regions. These FTAs also consist of commitments on environmental protection and sustainable development with the view that environmental protection is inseparable from commercial activities. The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which are new-generation FTAs with far-reaching commitments, do not only pay attention to the issue of trade liberalization but also the issues of fair trade and sustainable development. This paper analyzes the impacts of the CPTPP and the EVFTA on Vietnam’s environmental regulations and assesses Vietnam’s environmental regulations on climate change in order to implement these FTAs. Based on the paper’s findings, some solutions are proposed to help Vietnam better implement commitments under the CPTPP and the EVFTA.