Raising awareness of circular economy
Within the framework of the "Promoting Circular Economy for Businesses" (ACE-Biz) project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam, the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion - Ministry of Industry and Trade has coordinated with the United Nations Development Program to organize training courses on circular economy and sustainable production - consumption to raise awareness and promote the implementation of sustainable development models.
The training course is organized with the aim of providing information, knowledge and raising understanding about circular economy as well as sustainable production and consumption for state management agencies, research institutes, universities, consulting units and related organizations. Through this, the program contributes to promoting the practice of development models towards efficient use of resources, minimizing waste and towards green growth.
The program was attended by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam, representatives of relevant ministries and sectors, along with corporations, organizations, units and experts from home and abroad to exchange and share experiences on circular economy and sustainable production and consumption.
Speaking at the opening of the program, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam Giang - Director of the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion (Ministry of Industry and Trade) - said that in the context of Vietnam's economy recovering and aiming for high growth, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is promoting solutions to promote sustainable production, circular economy and efficient and economical energy use.
“National programs on sustainable production and consumption for the period 2021-2030, as well as the National Program on energy saving and efficiency are being synchronously implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and ministries and sectors. Through these programs, we aim to both promote economic growth and protect the environment, gradually transitioning to green and circular economy models,” Ms. Lam Giang emphasized.
According to Director Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, in the past time, activities to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly and circular economy production in the Industry and Trade sector have achieved many positive results, in which some sectors recorded high growth.
This is an important foundation for us to continue implementing national action programs on sustainable development, energy saving and efficiency. Thereby, contributing to promoting the transition to a green economy and circular economy in Vietnam in the coming time," Ms. Lam Giang said.
Representative of the Dutch side, Ms. Saskia de Smidt - representative of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam - shared that the Netherlands always considers the circular economy as one of the important orientations in sustainable development. Through the ACE-Biz project, the Dutch side wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in sharing experiences, supporting capacity building and promoting circular economy initiatives in enterprises as well as in state management.
Towards sustainable production and consumption
Speaking at the program, Dr. Do Thu Nga - representative of the Institute of Ecology and Environment (EEI) - shared about the role and benefits of sustainable production and consumption in the current development context. According to her, the transition to environmentally friendly production and consumption models both contributes to efficient use of resources, reducing emissions and opening up opportunities for sustainable economic development for Vietnam in the long term. At the same time, the circular economy is considered an important direction to help Vietnam adapt to new requirements for green growth and sustainable development.
The highlight in Dr. Do Thu Nga's presentation is the 9R model - a framework of solutions in the circular economy to extend the life cycle of products and reduce waste. The application of the principles of the 9R model will contribute to promoting the transition from a linear economic model to a circular economy, thereby improving resource efficiency, reducing waste and towards sustainable development goals.
According to Mr. Cu Huy Quang - Head of Energy Efficiency and Green Transformation Department (Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion, Ministry of Industry and Trade), over the past time, Vietnam has gradually completed the legal framework to promote green production, efficient energy use and circular economy development. National policies and programs on sustainable production and consumption, energy saving and efficient use, along with green standards are being implemented to orient businesses to transition to environmentally friendly development models, improve competitiveness and meet new requirements of the international market.
