The Workshop “Partnership between Businesses & CSOs in Carbon Emission Reduction: Trends & Opportunities”
By: lediemquynh
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On August 18, the Institute for Research on Development Communication (RED Communication) cooperated with proNGO! e.V. and the Vietnam Business for Environment (VB4E) organised the Workshop “Partnership between Businesses & CSOs in Carbon Emission Reduction: Trends & Opportunities”. Cooperation between organisations and businesses will contribute positively to the goal of reducing emissions, creating motivation in promoting business activities, enhancing reputation in achieving socio-economic benefits.
The objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of Vietnamese CSOs and businesses in Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Creating shared value (CSV) activities towards sustainable development. Therefore, creating a tight and effective connection between businesses and CSOs.
The conference attracted interested many experts, also businesses and organisations. According to experts, climate change, the main cause of which is the increase in carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases, extreme weather phenomena, and environmental pollution. Therefore, posing requirements to change production and consumption habits, protect the environment and respond to climate change.
At the conference, Intraco CO., LTD – an outreach member of VB4E – had a keynote presentation on the carbon market and the roadmap to net zero emissions in Vietnam. Also, The Lagom Company shared business practices aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Finally, Representatives of the VB4E Secretariat, IUCN introduced the initiatives of members towards reducing carbon emissions.
For more information, please access to these below articles:
Báo Chính sách và Cuộc sống: https://chinhsachcuocsong.vnanet.vn/tang…/23310.html.
Báo Quân đội Nhân dân: https://www.qdnd.vn/…/tang-cuong-hop-tac-giua-doanh…
Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân: https://daibieunhandan.vn/…/doanh-nghiep-va-to-chuc…/…
Báo Công Luận: https://www.congluan.vn/eu-co-quy-dinh-moi-ve-phat-trien…
Vietnam industrial property forum 2023: https://vir.com.vn/action-to-drive-carbon-reduction-goal…
Piloting volume-based waste fees in Hoi An, Viet Nam
By: lediemquynh
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The 2020 Viet Nam Law on Environmental Protection (LEP), which came into force in January 2021, includes new regulations on solid waste management. Article 75 stipulates that municipal solid waste from households and individuals must be separated into a) Solid waste that can be reused and recycled; b) Food waste; c) Other household solid waste. Article 79 stipulates that households and individuals must pay based on the weight and volume of their waste no later than 31 December 2024. Volume-based fees have been widely used in Europe resulting in a significant reduction in waste.
The 31 December 2024 deadline is approaching but local authorities are struggling to implement these articles in the absence of implementation guidelines from the Ministry of Resources and Environment (MONRE).
In 2022-2023, IUCN in cooperation with the Packaging Recycling Organisation Vietnam (PRO Vietnam), which brings together most of the major national and international food and beverage companies in Viet Nam, decided to pilot volume-based waste fees in Hoi An, one of Viet Nam’s top tourist destinations located in Quang Nam Province.
In June 2022, Quang Nam Provincial People’s Committee (PPC) approved the pilot in principle. In April 2023, Hoi An City People’s Committee (CPC) issued plan No. 947/KH-UBND, which allowed IUCN and Building Up Sustainability (BUS), a local NGO, to start the pilot in Cam Nam Ward in Hoi An. Nowhere in Viet Nam has yet tested volume-based fees for domestic solid waste so this pilot is of national significance.
For full article, please see link: https://www.iucn.org/story/202309/piloting-volume-based-waste-fees-hoi-viet-nam
Consultation meeting – Promoting the programme of sorting, collecting and recycling 3 types of waste concluding carton, PET, aluminum can in industrial parks in Nghe An Province to enhance EPR practices in Viet Nam.
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As a part of “TCP towards a circular economy and promoting EPR practice in Vietnam” project, on 25 August, IUCN held a consultation meeting to introduce the project and consult with businesses about the programme in VSIP Nghe An Industrial Park.
The project is under implementation of IUCN and its partners during 2022 – 2024 with the financial support of TCPVN Company. It is designed to:
(1) pilot the collection & recycling programme under the EPR scheme;
(2) increase recycling and collection rate of packaging waste in some industrial zones in Nghe An, Binh Duong and Hanoi; raising awareness about environmental protection, reducing plastic waste for workers in IZs, contributing to reducing pressure of overloaded landfills/dumps in these three areas; and
(3) collect about 100 tons of packaging waste at three project sites under the EPR mechanism.
At the meeting, representatives of VSIP Co., Ltd. and businesses at IZ such as An Nam Masuoka, IMS, Great Longview, Luxshare ICT, Current Power, UMW, etc gave comments on the implementation and proposed recommendations based on the actual context at the industrial park.
Towards a green and sustainable IZ, Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park Company (VSIP) recommends its customers to comply with regulations on environmental protection and participate in waste separation and collection programmes. This will contribute to the implementation of government regulations on waste sorting at source under the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, which will take effect on December 31, 2024 and promote the implementation of EPR in Viet Nam.
Consultation meeting to establish Ecotourism Cluster Network – Cuc Phuong National Park & Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve
By: lediemquynh
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Within the framework of GIZ-funded- Sustainable tourism in protected areas in the post-COVID world project, IUCN and the Planeterra organised a consultation meeting on setting up the Ecotourism Cluster Network (ECN) – Cuc Phuong & Van Long on August 9th, 2022 in Ninh Binh Province.
The meeting aims to discuss the ECN establishment and create collaborative opportunities for developing ecotourism activities in and around Cuc Phuong National Park and Van Long Wetlands Nature Reserve, focusing on nature conservation and community livelihoods.
With the participation of representatives from Cuc Phuong National Park, Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve, businesses including hotels, travel agencies, cooperatives and local authorities/communities, the meeting has received lots of feedbacks and recommendations for establishing, developing and especially sustaining the ECN – Cuc Phuong & Ninh Binh.
In the context of post-COVID recovery of the tourism industry, the ECN establishment is necessary which simultaneously bring economic benefits and protect the nature.
For more information, please contact [email protected]
VB4E contributes to promoting communications to reduce single use plastic bags at supermarkets/retailers
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VB4E contributes to promoting communications to reduce single-use plastic bags at supermarkets/retailers
With the aim of promoting communication to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags at supermarkets/retailers, on November 26, 2021, the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), the Hanoi Department of Industry Trade, Vietnam Business for Environment (VB4E) co-organized the businesses consultation meeting on the “Alliance’s Communication Plan for plastic bags usage reduction” with retailers and stakeholders.
Currently, 15 enterprises have signed agreements to join the Plastic Alliance (a coalition of supermarkets and retailers committed to decreasing single-use plastic products) initiated by ISPONRE and Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade. This activity is a part of the project “Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter” funded by the European Union and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Expertise France is the implementing agency of this project in Viet Nam.
The meeting welcomed representatives from Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, IUCN, ISPONRE, VB4E, For Vietnamese Stature Foundation, WWF and 15 retailers, including AEON, Mega Market, An Nam, TH Truemart, Lock & Lock, Lotte, Big C, the Bodyshop, Coopermart … and other stakeholders.
The main objectives of the meeting were to discuss the project’s Communication Plan and to propose communication activities implemented in 2021 & 2022 and collaborative plan between the Alliance business members and partners.
Currently, there are 3 retailers in the Alliance pioneering the reduction of single-use plastic bags: Decathlon’s Hanoi branch, MM Mega Market supermarket chain and Annam Gourmet Market. However, their efforts were hindered by multiple obstacles, mainly the consumers’ awareness, inconsistency in communication strategies and plans among retailers and lack of resources. Other retailers also highlighted the difficulties in reducing single-use plastic bags, including balancing the interests of businesses, consumers and the environment and the high cost of reusable bags.
To deal with these difficulties, participating retailers have proposed many practical suggestions: initiating a joint communication message of the Project taken by retailers, a consistent communication message; increasing communication through both traditional and non-traditional media channels; producing videos on the harmful impacts of plastic waste and positive effects of environmentally friendly bags; helping consumers feel interested not pushed; collaborating with associations and production units in Hanoi to promote communications, etc. Additionally, the development of a step-by-step roadmap and accurate measurement indicators and reusable bags subsidization will ease the transitional process.
For Vietnamese Stature Foundation’s representative also shared the goals of sustainable development and environmental protection. The Foundation is willing to cooperate with retailers to design and build communication activities such as exhibitions or contests on plastic waste pollution.
In the coming time, VB4E will cooperate with ISPONRE and the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation to continue working with the Alliances and supporting the implementation of supermarkets and retailers’ communication activities to raise the awareness of customers in reducing the use of single-use plastic bags.