The promotion of non-fired brick production and utilisation project in Vietnam is expected to help the country realise specific targets of the green growth strategy such as reducing environmental pollution, rehabilitating contaminated areas, improving the local livelihood, and mitigating the depletion of natural resources.

The five-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hopes to reduce the greenhouse gas emission by at least 383,000 tonnes within the project lifetime, heard a workshop in Hanoi on May 29.

It aims to help Vietnam reduce CO2 emissions by gradually cutting down on the use of fossil fuels and soil for brick making, while increasing the production, sales and utilisation of non-fired brick, said deputy head of the Department of Science and Technology Nguyen Dinh Hau.

The main inputs are industrial waste materials, and the production process is environmentally more sound.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung said while the domestic financial sources are limited, the appeal to international support and experience is of necessity.

The ministry pledges to give full assistance for local authorities to realise the aforesaid targets and implement successfully the Government’s non-fired brick development programme, he added.

According to UNDP Director Vietnam Louise Chamberlain, the construction sector in the Southeast Asian country records an average growth of 8 percent per year, noting that the demand for building bricks is increasing but up to 80 percent of which are fired clay bricks that have harmful impacts on natural resources and environment.

Participants heard that the Vietnamese Government has put forth a number of policies to reduce environmental contamination.

The implementation of the non-fired brick project is hoped to make significant contributions to the country’s green growth strategy and development of involved businesses.-VNA