Hanoi (VNA)♔ - Seventy-two enterprises in four industrial parks in the northern province of Ninh Binh, the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho and the central city of Da Nang have saved a total of 6.5 million USD per year by using technology, efficiently utilizing natural resources and enhancing clean production.

 

🎃The project "Implementing Eco-industrial park (EIP) initiative for sustainable industrial zones in Vietnam" has been jointly carried out by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for a year. It has a total investment of more than 5 million USD co-funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the Swiss Government through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in the framework of the Global Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Programme.

The initiative was piloted at Khanh Phu and Gian Khau industrial parks in Ninh Binh; Hoa Khanh industrial park in Da Nang; and Tra Noc 1 and Tra Noc 2 industrial parks in Can Tho.

ಞ It focused on increasing the transfer, deployment and diffusion of clean technologies and practices for the minimisation of hazardous waste, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as water pollutants and the good management of chemicals in the industrial parks.

Via the project, enterprises in the above-mentioned industrial parks are provided with information on the latest technology and advice on cleaner production solutions, helping them take full advantage of raw materials,use energy efficiently, save water as well as ensure safety in using chemicals and managing wastewater. The project's solutions for resource efficient and cleaner production have led to total saving of annual demand of more than 22,000 MWh of electricity, over 600,000 m3 of freshwater, some 140 TJ of fossil fuels, and nearly 3,600 tonnes of chemicals and waste. These solutions also led to a decrease of 32 kt of CO2 every year.   At a workshop to review the project on June 12, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor said the government of Switzerland will support Vietnam in its transformation to a greener economy.

The initiative is one of the flagship programmes in Switzerland's economic cooperation and development framework for Vietnam, she stressed, noting its main objective is to demonstrate the viability and benefits of sustainable industrial parks in Vietnam’s industrial development policy.

ཧ The project provided training for more than 3,100 managers and technicians, towards creating a common understanding of EIPs and sharing international experience, good practices and their application in Vietnam.

The training helped attendees to learn EIP resources and tools available; and understand and learn about the opportunities as well as associated challenges in applying and replicating the EIP concept in Vietnam. The project also supported the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam in developing policies and guidelines to facilitate the transformation of industrial zones into EIPs. They include guidelines on how to access green financing, what to do to prevent, prepare and respond to environmental accidents, and many others. UNIDO Country Representative in Vietnam Le ThiThanhThaosaidthe transformation of conventional industrial parks into eco-industrial parks will be a good opportunity to attain inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Vietnam. The EIP initiative constitutes another step forward in UNIDO's supports for Vietnam in efficientenergy use and cleaner production in industry over the past 20 years, Thao said.

She expressed her belief that the project’s successes will create a firm foundation for expanding the EIP model in Vietnam, contributing to protecting the environment, gaining sustainable development, raising Vietnam's competitiveness and attracting high quality investment into the country, especially from the private sector. -VNA