Before the 2025 Workers' Forum for the Environment, Lao Dong Newspaper had an interview with Dr. Nguyen Anh Tho - Director of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Hygiene Science, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.
On September 19, the Workers' Forum for the Environment 2025 was held, how do you evaluate the significance of the program? Through the program, what opinions do you hope to hear from representatives of businesses, workers and management agencies in environmental fields?
- Mr. Nguyen Anh Tho: The 2025 Workers' Forum for the Environment has very practical significance in the context of climate change and plastic waste pollution being a global challenge. This is an opportunity to affirm the important role of workers in building green enterprises and sustainable production. The outstanding results of the recent Environmental Action Month show strong influence when more than 1.1 million union members and workers have participated with more than 11,000 activities, planted over 1.3 million trees and treated thousands of tons of waste.
Through this forum, I hope to listen to businesses' commitments and solutions to invest in clean technology, reduce plastic waste, build a safe - green - clean - beautiful working environment; From workers are initiatives and practical stories in saving energy, classifying waste at source, improving the production environment; From management agencies are mechanisms and policies to support, supervise and encourage both businesses and workers to act together for the goal of green development.
How do you evaluate the role of workers and laborers in environmental protection activities? What initiatives do you expect that workers and laborers will have in the process of their production and labor process to protect the environment?
- Mr. Nguyen Anh Tho: Workers and laborers are the force that directly participates in the production process, so they are both subjects affected by the working environment and entities capable of creating change. Their important role is demonstrated in: implementing the correct process, using raw materials and energy economically; proactively classifying, collecting and treating waste; monitoring and promptly reflecting the risks of pollution in enterprises.
I expect workers to have proposals and apply technical initiatives to improve the production line to reduce emissions, save energy, and limit toxic chemicals; "greening" initiatives at the workplace: using personal water bottles instead of plastic bottles, recycling waste into useful items, building "green corners" in workshops and factories; Developing "3R" (Reduce - Reuse - Recycle) models suitable for each industry, especially initiatives to take advantage of scrap and by-products as input materials.
At the same time, strengthen occupational safety and hygiene solutions associated with environmental protection, for example: design of dust filtering equipment, handling toxic gases, improving processes to reduce pollution risks and spreading green living habits: classifying waste at source, limiting single-use plastic, saving electricity and water right during and outside work hours.
Which hot environmental issues do you expect to be resolved through this year's Workers' Forum for the Environment?
- Mr. Nguyen Anh Tho: I hope the Forum will remove some hot issues such as plastic waste pollution - currently the biggest challenge, needing synchronous solutions from reducing single-use plastic use to enhancing recycling, circular economy.
The second is the problem of air pollution in urban areas and industrial parks - linked to transportation, production and construction; solutions are needed to control emissions and develop low-emission zones.
Third is waste management in production - especially in high-risk industries such as textiles, chemicals, mineral exploitation; technology innovation is needed, strict supervision is needed.
Fourth is the working conditions - working environment - many places still have dust, noise, toxic chemicals; it is necessary to closely link safety, hygiene of labor with environmental protection.
Fifth, there is currently a lack of a mechanism to encourage green initiatives from workers - many initiatives are still broken, and there are no policies to support the expansion.
Six is the responsibility of businesses to expand - in recovering, recycling products after consumption, and treating waste at source; there needs to be sanctions and clear support mechanisms.
Finally, there is coordination between the parties - currently still scattered; the forum is an opportunity to form a tripartite commitment: State - Enterprise - Workers.
I hope the forum will not only raise issues, but more importantly, create specific action commitments from businesses, management agencies and workers to gradually remove challenges, turning them into green and sustainable development opportunities.
Thank you very much for sharing!
