The Ministry of Industry and Trade announced this following initial monitoring in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City that found declines in several air pollution indicators after the nationwide rollout of E10 biofuel gasoline.
Speaking at the Ministry of Industry and Trade's regular July press conference on July 7, Dao Duy Anh, Deputy Director of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion, said initial monitoring results in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City showed that several air pollution indicators had declined after the introduction of E10 biofuel gasoline. However, there is still insufficient evidence to confirm that the use of E10 gasoline is directly responsible for reducing air pollution.
According to Deputy Director Dao Duy Anh, one of the objectives of switching to biofuel gasoline is to help protect the environment. Calculations show that reducing the consumption of one liter of mineral gasoline can cut emissions by about 2.3-2.5 kilograms of CO2. In addition, the ethanol blended into gasoline increases the oxygen content of the fuel mixture, enabling more complete combustion and thereby reducing emissions of certain pollutants.
To assess the actual impact, the Ministry of Industry and Trade requested the Center for Environmental Monitoring under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to provide monitoring data from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Monitoring was conducted at three locations in each city in late May and late June 2026 to compare air quality before and about one month after the nationwide rollout of E10 gasoline.
Preliminary results showed that concentrations of several pollutants, including CO, NOx and HC, had declined. However, the Deputy Director of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion said the monitoring data were also affected by several factors, including traffic density, weather conditions, wind speed, and other environmental conditions. Therefore, the current results do not fully reflect the impact of using E10 biofuel gasoline.
"The Ministry of Industry and Trade has not concluded that this is a positive environmental impact of using biofuel gasoline. To reach an accurate conclusion, monitoring needs to continue over a longer period, with a broader monitoring network and increased monitoring frequency," Mr. Dao Duy Anh said.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked the Center for Environmental Monitoring to continue expanding monitoring to more localities across the country. Once more comprehensive and reliable data are available, the ministry will provide further information to the media.
