摘要:Balancing between economic growth and environmental protection is the core of sustainable development. However, both developed and developing countries are facing many difficulties in dealing with global challenges such as climate change, pollution and resource shortage. In an effort to promote environmental protection and legislate punishment, environmental crimes have been included in criminal law. In order to increase its effectiveness, criminal law on environmental crimes need to be further specified, such as identification of environmental offences, inclusion of new offences, expansion of scope of application, increase on fine, and supplement existing sanctions for environmental offences. These changes can bring tremendous impacts on Vietnam’s sustainable development in the nearfuture.