The event is part of the activities to mark the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Canada diplomatic relations (1973-2018). In his opening remark, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Tran Hong Ha, affirmed that protecting and restoring the marine eco-system is the ultimate goal in the marine economic development strategy for 2030 with a vision to 2045. Developing an action plan to control marine plastic debris is to realise Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s initiative to form a global cooperation mechanism for reducing plastic wastes towards oceans free of plastic debris at the expanded Group of Seven (G7) Summit held in Canada in June this year, he added. Ha suggested that Vietnam host the ASEAN ministerial meeting under the theme of building an ASEAN community free of marine plastic debris. Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, Deborah Paul, said that her country has a long-lasting collaboration with Vietnam in addressing environmental issues. Some 8 million tonnes of plastic … [Read more...] about Workshop looks to build action plan on marine plastic waste management
Fossil fuels on the environment
Int’l confab looks to build plan on marine plastic waste management
Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul speaks at the workshop. (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The first international consultation workshop on building a national action plan on marine plastic debris management was jointly held in Hanoi on December 10 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam. The event is part of the activities to mark 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Canada diplomatic relations (1973-2018). In his opening remark, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha affirmed that protecting and restoring the marine eco-system have been an ultimate goal in the marine economic development strategy for 2030 with a vision to 2045. Developing an action plan to control marine plastic debris is to realise Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s initiative to form a global cooperation mechanism for reducing plastic wastes towards oceans free of plastic debris at the expanded Group of Seven … [Read more...] about Int’l confab looks to build plan on marine plastic waste management
Approaching the climate conundrum
Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former head of the United Nations Development Programme What do you believe Vietnam has achieved in tackling climate change and pursuing environmental sustainability over recent years? Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries with its very long coastline, and also with the particular issue around the Mekong Delta. When I was the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator I paid a visit to the delta, probably four or five years ago, and it was quite scary given the experience of the saltwater, inundation and the rising sea levels. It’s very serious for Vietnam because the Mekong Delta has been the food basket of the nation. So the adaptation challenges for Vietnam are quite significant but I think there’s quite a high level of awareness from the government and the people here. I was obviously familiar with the UNDP work which was supporting authorities on the adaptation and resilience … [Read more...] about Approaching the climate conundrum
The bumpy road of common ethanol fuel mixture
The bumpy road of common ethanol fuel mixtureBy Lan Nhi According to a report released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in July 2017, Vietnam needed at least 267,850 cubic meters of ethanol for mixing E5 gasoline - PHOTO: THANH HOA HCMC - Common ethanol fuel mixture (E5 RON 92 gasoline) has been receiving many incentives from the State. However, high prices of materials for ethanol production and relevant materials plus the high tariff levied on imported ethanol have significantly eroded E5 gasoline’s advantages. Almost a year has elapsed since the official introduction of E5 gasoline which aimed to completely eliminate RON92 gasoline. Yet no official and comprehensive report has been around publicly about the efficiency of such an introduction. Roughly a month ago, during a working session with a delegation from the Prime Minister, Petrolimex—Vietnam’s largest fuel firm—said E5 RON 92 gasoline accounted for 44% of their volume of gasoline sold on … [Read more...] about The bumpy road of common ethanol fuel mixture
Better green finance for better environment: Swedish recommendations
Viet Nam News Investing in renewable energy is an emerging trend in Việt Nam in response to worsening environmental destruction and the gradual disappearance of essential livelihoods. Việt Nam News talks with Gustav Martinsson, associate professor of financial economics at the Sweden Royal Institute of Technology, about green finance and international experiences that show how Việt Nam’s Government can catch the new wave. What do you think is the most important issue when talking about the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy? I think the most important thing is a structural problem: we don’t put a price on carbon. There is a need for political action, meaning decision makers must do what they can to fix this problem so that companies cannot make profit from industries that release a lot of carbon to the atmosphere. Sweden’s transition to renewable energy mirrors what Việt Nam is trying to do. What do you think is the greatest … [Read more...] about Better green finance for better environment: Swedish recommendations