The EU wants to champion "green agriculture" in Southeast Asia. But limited trade relations, regulatory nightmares and distrust could stymie it.

Vietnam must start monitoring and issuing carbon certificates to exporters and retailers in response to the EU's recently passed carbon levy, said industry insiders and policymakers. 

In the early hours of Tuesday morning the EU became the first big economy to legislate for a “green tariff” on imports, to be levied on goods that are produced with high carbon dioxide emissions.