The National Environmentally Friendly Products and Technologies Exhibition and Conference (Viet Nam EFProtech 2009) opened yesterday in the capital. Experts at the conference will speak about living in an age of increasingly scarce natural resources, climate change and environmental pollution. Developing countries, like Viet Nam, are at the forefront of these issues. In the past, if a country’s total Gross Domestic Product doubles over 10 years, the pollution level is likely to increase five fold.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang said: "Facing this reality, environmentally friendly products and technologies are gradually becoming the goal of every company and country to enhance capacity for competition and improve national prestige and image."
Hoang added: "As a member of the World Trade Organisation, Viet Nam is under diverse pressures, competition and demand to protect the environment."
The exhibition and conference attracted a number of major companies and corporations such as the Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group,the Sai Gon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corporation, the Viet Nam Tea Corporation and the Viet Nam Garment and Textile Group.
Viet Nam EFProtech 2009 includes exhibitions of environmentally friendly industrial products like air pollution control, water treatment and processing chemicals, solid-waste processing and management equipment, monitoring systems and prevention technology.
It will be a good opportunity for international and domestic manufacturers and businesses to improve collaboration, investment, exchange of science and technology and trade promotion.
Organised by the Ministry of Industry, the event will run from March 17 to 20.