Sustainable development will depend on a shift to a green economy,officials said at a seminar held in HCM City on Mar. 15.
Pham Hoang Mai, head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment'sDepartment of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment,said it is important to shift to a green economy, citing examples in theRepublic of Korea , Mexico and the Philippines .
The seminar was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (VCCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning andInvestment and the United Nations Development Programme.
RoK, for example, has implemented a green-growth strategy based ondevelopment of advanced science and technology and an abundant labourforce.
"In Vietnam , although the economic growth ratehas reached 6.5-7 percent every year, the competitiveness of the economyis still low," Mai said. Economic growth is based largely on exploitingnatural resources. The country still has out-of-date technology,environmental pollution and climate change challenges."
"Vietnam 's economic restructuring must be towards green growth bypromoting environmentally friendly lifestyles and production, reducingCO2 emissions, adapting to climate change, and developing a moderninfrastructure."
Localities need to focus on the efficientuse of human and natural resources and restructure agriculturalproduction in a more environmentally friendly way, such as payingattention to appropriate use of fertiliser and pesticides and recyclingby-products of agricultural production.
They should alsodevelop sources of renewable energy and encourage businesses to transfertechnology to improve production effectiveness, Mai said.
The green growth strategy for the 2011-20 period and its vision towards2050 will be submitted to the Government by the end of the year.
Nguyen Nam , deputy director of KPMG Vietnam, said targets are inline with international trends towards reducing energy and carbonemissions, lowering greenhouse-gas emissions, and increasing GDP.
To maximise the impact at the least cost, the strategy must worksynergistically in order to effectively address climate change, energysecurity, population growth and natural resources scarcity.
To finance green-growth transition, the use of public-privatepartnerships should be considered, as well as the use of carbon markets.
Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) ofemissions reduction and other key indicators are critical for ensuringtransparency, accountability and effectiveness of implementation.
A rigorous MRV system is key for attracting international finance, according to Mai.
"The country's green-growth strategy should be a long-term objectivefor any enterprise," said Nguyen Quang Vinh, director of the office forsustainable development of the VCCI and secretary general of the VietnamBusiness Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD).
Raising awareness of sustainable development among businesses, especially SMEs, is also important.-VNA
Pham Hoang Mai, head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment'sDepartment of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment,said it is important to shift to a green economy, citing examples in theRepublic of Korea , Mexico and the Philippines .
The seminar was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (VCCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning andInvestment and the United Nations Development Programme.
RoK, for example, has implemented a green-growth strategy based ondevelopment of advanced science and technology and an abundant labourforce.
"In Vietnam , although the economic growth ratehas reached 6.5-7 percent every year, the competitiveness of the economyis still low," Mai said. Economic growth is based largely on exploitingnatural resources. The country still has out-of-date technology,environmental pollution and climate change challenges."
"Vietnam 's economic restructuring must be towards green growth bypromoting environmentally friendly lifestyles and production, reducingCO2 emissions, adapting to climate change, and developing a moderninfrastructure."
Localities need to focus on the efficientuse of human and natural resources and restructure agriculturalproduction in a more environmentally friendly way, such as payingattention to appropriate use of fertiliser and pesticides and recyclingby-products of agricultural production.
They should alsodevelop sources of renewable energy and encourage businesses to transfertechnology to improve production effectiveness, Mai said.
The green growth strategy for the 2011-20 period and its vision towards2050 will be submitted to the Government by the end of the year.
Nguyen Nam , deputy director of KPMG Vietnam, said targets are inline with international trends towards reducing energy and carbonemissions, lowering greenhouse-gas emissions, and increasing GDP.
To maximise the impact at the least cost, the strategy must worksynergistically in order to effectively address climate change, energysecurity, population growth and natural resources scarcity.
To finance green-growth transition, the use of public-privatepartnerships should be considered, as well as the use of carbon markets.
Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) ofemissions reduction and other key indicators are critical for ensuringtransparency, accountability and effectiveness of implementation.
A rigorous MRV system is key for attracting international finance, according to Mai.
"The country's green-growth strategy should be a long-term objectivefor any enterprise," said Nguyen Quang Vinh, director of the office forsustainable development of the VCCI and secretary general of the VietnamBusiness Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD).
Raising awareness of sustainable development among businesses, especially SMEs, is also important.-VNA
