Increasing Corporate Care for the Environment

2011 is the first year of the 2011-2015 Five-Year Plan and the start-off of the 2011-2020 Natural Resources and Environment Plan. Concerning this issue, Vietnam Business Forum reporter Do Ngoc interviewed Mr Bui Cach Tuyen, Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and Director General of Environment Department.

Many research projects at home and abroad have warned that Vietnam is among the group of countries most vulnerable to climate change. It may affect the environment and in return the environment may increase the climate change.

Realizing the danger, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has submitted to the government a national programme against climate change, a scenario for climate change and higher sea water levels in Vietnam. On October 20, 2010, the Ministry launched an action plan on climate change for 2011-2015.

 

For its part, the Environment Department, in the framework of the master plan, is developing an overall project evaluating the impact of climate change on the Vietnamese environment and proposing solutions. The Department will study further the effect of climate change on natural resources, direct and indirect impacts to the ecology, bio-diversity, pollution, the economy and human well-being, along with the human impact on climate change so as to design suitable solutions. In addition to this research, policy and regulations have also been amended to protect the environment, especially the Environment Protection Law 2005.

Clean technology is the use of technical measures which cause no environment pollution or little waste to environment. Likewise, the use of clean fuel ensures the same result.

Many clean technologies and clean fuels have been used in the world and Vietnam with positive results on environment protection. Many companies, instead of waste treatment in drainage systems, have applied new and advanced technologies saving production cost and reducing waste. Clean fuels such as bio-gas or LPD are increasingly used in production and transportation with both economic profit and environment protection.

Therefore, the use of clean technology and clean fuel is most effective in reducing waste from the sources and protecting the environment. The government has encouraged the use of environment friendly products and technologies in such documents as the National strategy of environment protection in 2010 and vision to 2020, focusing on the application of clean and environment friendly technologies. The Environment Protection Law 2005 provides in Article 33 that businesses using clean technology and clean fuel will have preferential treatment in taxes, capital and land for production.

 

Recently, in his statement at the XI Party Congress, Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen emphasized economic restructuring in favour of environment protection. “Green growth” has been referred in the socio-economic development 2011-2020 and political programme of socialist development saving natural resources and promoting economic restructuring in Vietnam.

 So far, Vietnamese companies prefer production lines with low cost, simple operation, management and maintenance, instead of clean and modern technology.

Though the application of clean technology may cost more for new equipment and production methods, in the long term it brings bigger profit as there is less need to build waste treatment systems. Besides, new technology can produce high quality products with high competitiveness, meeting the demands of international economic integration. Therefore, for their own interests, companies should participate in sustainable development.

 

Some companies have been unable to apply new technology due to lack of capital, in particular small and medium sized enterprises. They also lack information on new technology and do not have sufficient workforce. Many companies continue to use old equipment, causing pollution and failing to comply with the environment protection law.

To accelerate the use of new technology, the Ministry has issued regulations on supporting capital from the Environment Protection Fund so that companies can apply modern and environment friendly technology. On the other hand, the Ministry also increases supervision to ensure strict compliance with the environment protection law and fairness between different enterprises.

The 3rd National Conference on Environment has promoted environment protection as well as community responsibility. How should the law be enforced in the five-year plan to meet the demand for economic development in Vietnam?

 The 3rd National Conference on Environment was successfully organized on November 18, 2010. The Conference reviewed environment protection in the past five years, pointing out shortcomings, causes, lessons and solutions for the next five years. At the same time, the joint statement of the conference highlighted achievements, especially the enforcement of the Environment Protection Law 2005, the Bio-Diversity Law 2008 and strategies for environment protection and sustainable development.

 

Nonetheless, with fast development and higher demands, the Environment Protection Law 2005 has revealed shortfallsand proved to be incomplete and unrealistic. Therefore, a main task of the Ministry set out in the conference is to study and amend the Environment Protection Law 2005 to make it more complete and meet the demand for State management of environment protection and against climate change.

 

For its part, in 2011 and the following years, the Environment Department must develop and recommend solutions to ensure compliance with the Bio-Diversity Law 2008, Environment Protection Law and other related legal documents. I believe that the task will be accomplished, meeting the new demands of socio-economic development in Vietnam.