"Four years ago, most Vietnamese businesses didn't understand what was cleaner production. However, until now, cleaner production has been disseminated throughout the country. Furthermore, the cleaner production in industry strategy until 2020 with a vision to 2025 aims to prepare for the popularization of cleaner production models after the Cleaner Production in Industry (CPI) component finishes by the end of this year.
These are achievements that the CPI component has obtained for six years (2006-2011), Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong, head of the CPI Steering Committee said at the semiannual summarization meeting that took place on June 8, 2011.
CPI dissemination
CPI is one of five components of the Vietnam-Denmark Development Cooperation in Environment (DCE) program. The project’s objectives are to enable 47 Vietnamese businesses to access and participate in technical performance projects. Up to now, the number of businesses participating in the project has exceeded its initial target. Dang Tung, component director said that until June, 2011, 42 businesses have completed the second phase of their performance projects. By the end of this year, the number of businesses participating in performance projects will be 61 of which 15 businesses will complete the first phase and 46 businesses will complete the second phase.
Not only exceeding the number of businesses participating in the component, CPI has been disseminated nationwide. Being aware that the implementation of communication and awareness raising activities towards businesses are vital to the success of the project in case that there is insufficient sanction. Therefore, communication activities have been implemented animatedly in five target provinces including Thai Nguyen, Ben Tre, Quang Nam and Phu Tho. Fifty other provinces have also accessed to CPI through seminars and training courses. Specifically, nine seminars and 42 training courses on CPI have been organized. Some 174 businesses have been committed to conducting quick assessment. To the knowledge of businesses on CPI, the CPI component has disseminated communication broadly via mass media. For example, six films and 19 news items have been broadcasted on television; more than 100 articles have been published in seven newspapers. In addition, to assist businesses in applying cleaner production methods, some 100 consulting officials have completed CPI training courses.
Nguyen Huy Cuong, vice director of Nghe An Industry and Trade Department said that the province has 10 businesses participating in performance projects, of which seven projects finished before June 2011 while the remaining models will complete before September 30th, 2011.
Disbursement progress is considered an important factor to the success of any project. Accordingly, the budget for CPI component in 2011 is DKK7.1 million. For the first six months in 2011, 99 percent of that amount was disbursed. Duong Quang Hung, a representative of the Royal Danish Embassy said that CPI component has the best disbursement progress compared to other components within DCE program. This is the most important factors for the success of the component when it is implemented.
Creating a momentum for cleaner production in industry
The CPI component will officially finish by the end of 2011. Therefore, the component will focus on completing its communication and administration activities. Specifically, it will release 20 new leaflet designs; provide CPI information for minimum five newspapers and magazines; organize a sum-up seminar about the CPI component contribution to cleaner production acceleration in Vietnam in general and the cleaner production in industry strategy until 2020; review the cleaner production in industry strategy to propose appropriate adjustments; systematize CPI document and then translate into English and Vietnamese to distribute to parties that will implement the strategy; assist to establish cleaner production units and build cleaner production action plans in 14 untargeted provinces.
Aware of CPI component achievements in Vietnam, the Government has promulgated Decision 1419/QD-TTg, approving the cleaner production in industry strategy until 2020 with a vision to 2025. One of the most important parts is the establishment of an environment center and cleaner production; a network of cleaner production centers under industry and trade departments and new financial sources in replacement of Denmark's financial support. Deputy minister Hoang Quoc Vuong said that the cleaner production strategy in industry will create momentum for the expansion of cleaner production application when the CPI component ends which will contribute to turning CPI into an important part in industrial production of Vietnam.
