Assessing Environmental Governance and Renewable Energy Performance in Developing Countries Comparative Analysis of China and Vietnam

Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.

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Abstract

There are 193 sovereign countries in the world, and they are classified, according to The World Economic Situation and Prospectus (WESP) into one of three broad categories: developed economies, transition economies and developing economies. Developing economies’ sustainable development needs sustainable energy. In this article,we will analyze the situations in China and Vietnam regarding environmental governance and renewable energy.For the last four decades, China and Vietnam have experienced rapid industrial growth while grappling with severe ecological challenges. China has advanced toward an “ecological civilization,”while Vietnam continues to reform its environmental legislation to align with global standards. This comparative study evaluates environmental governance and renewable energy performance in both countries through policy review, empirical data, and case studies. The analysis explores institutional evolution, environmental impact assessment (EIA) effectiveness, and renewable-energy governance frameworks.The study identifies similarities in policy ambition and contrasts in implementation: both nations strengthen legal frameworks and monitoring systems but still face coordination challenges, weak public participation, and uneven enforcement. Through the comparative analysis of China and Vietnam, this article assesses environmental governance and renewable-energy performance to identify three interrelated solutions technology transfer, financial support, and strong environmental governance for overcoming the sustainable-development dilemmas of developing economies. This study proposes interrelated solutions like strong environmental governance, technology transfer as pathways to strengthen sustainable development in developing economies.