Last year, Hanoi focused on promoting cleaner production activities along with related awareness raising and strong support for enterprises and craft villagers, with a view to boosting the city’s cleaner production efficiency.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Energy Conservation Centre, the unit in charge of performing cleaner solutions in Hanoi Nguyen Minh An spoke with the Vietnam Economic News about the city’s cleaner production results.

*For a smooth implementation of cleaner production activities, the related awareness raising is one of the key solutions. How did the centre do it last year?

In order to improve the cleaner production efficiency, last year, Hanoi positively promoted cleaner production benefit along with raising cleaner production awareness for local production facilities in craft villages, industrial parks and clusters across the city.

Specifically, the Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade issued 5,000 cleaner production introduction leaflets; made three reports on the results of cleaner production implementation programmes in the city; organised three symposia guiding cleaner production implementation to more than 300 participants including business managers and technicians working for production establishment in craft villages and industrial parks.

These activities have helped improve cleaner production awareness for 15 percent of enterprises and production facilities across the city in the fields of mechanical engineering, textile, food processing, and ceramics.

*Apart from cleaner production propaganda, what did the city do to help local enterprises with cleaner production consultancy and application?

Last year, the Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade conducted cleaner production surveys in 30 companies located in Quang Minh Industrial Zone, Tu Liem Industrial Complex, and several craft villages.

Based on the survey results, it has provided relevant support for the companies and village in terms of technique, technology, and production process control.

Specifically, Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade already supported the gas burned pottery kiln model developed at artisan Dao Viet Binh’s facility at Kim Lan Pottery Village, Gia Lam district, which has proved high economic efficiency while reducing emissions. According to the Kim Lan Pottery Association, this model will be widely replicated in the near future.

In addition, the department also organised workshops and symposia on cleaner production for more than 600 participants in the city’s industrial sectors .

Last year, about six percent of industrial production facilities in Hanoi applied cleaner production solutions, saving from 5-8 percent of energy, raw materials, and fuel needed to produce a unit of product.

*What is the city’s cleaner production goals set out for the coming time?

Hanoi sets a target until 2015 to have 50 percent of industrial production facilities aware of the benefits of adopting cleaner production; 25 percent of industrial production facilities applying cleaner production solutions and reaching 5-8 percent savings of energy, raw materials, and fuel per unit of product; and 70 percent of people’s committees in districts and towns having cleaner production specialists.-VNA