Hanoi, February 28, 2020 – The Science – Education – Environment Advisory council, under the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VNFF) – session IX, the period of 2019-2024, held its first meeting in order to raise feedback on the draft version of revised Environmental Protection Law and approve the action plan of the whole session. Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan, President of Halcom Vietnam JSC., member of VNFF Central Committee, member of the environment group of the Advisory council, attended the meeting and contributed ideas.
At the meeting, delegates were presented programs and action plan for the period of 2019-2024 and 2020 key tasks of the Advisory council. Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc, Vice Chairman of VNFF Central Committee, chaired the meeting, affirming, “The policy of Vietnam Communist Party and government on environmental issues is very clear now. Environmental protection strategy and environmental legal system are available, and there are campaigns to encourage people to join hands in environmental protection. Environmental protection needs the participation of everyone and the political system as well”.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Lan Dung, Chairman of the Science – Education – Environment Advisory council, said that many new policies on environmental protection need to be amended and supplemented to solve problems and shortcomings of environmental protection in the current period; updated and timely institutionalized with the Party’s opinions and policies on renewing the growth model and sustainable development of the country in the context of global integration.
Regarding the draft amendment and supplement of the Environmental Protection Law, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huan commented that the waste sorting from source that is specified in the law takes time for communication, raising public awareness, and causes management costs, especially in rural and mountainous areas. Technology nowadays can handle mixed waste, so the need of waste sorting from source should be considered if necessary or not.
In addition, Mr. Huan also mentioned on the 55 / NQ-TW Resolution issued by the Ministry of Politics on February 11, 2020, regarding the National Energy Development Strategic Direction up to 2030, vision up to 2045, in which electricity generation and consumption at the same time through renewable resources and waste are encouraged. The Environmental Protection Law, therefore, needs to be reviewed the content that regulates “not investing in small-scale solid waste treatment facilities” (Chapter VI of the draft version). Carbon pricing and the carbon credit market also need to be transparent, this is very essential to encourage enterprises to invest in renewable energy, apply energy-saving technologies and reduce CO2 emissions. Carbon credit can be sold, new energy-saving materials can be developed, such as insulation building materials to replace cement and steel, organic fertilizers to replace chemical ones, etc. Project owners, production and business establishments, concentrated production, business and service areas should have independent consultants control and report on environmental protection.
In order to enhance the effectiveness of environmental protection activities, Vice Chairman Ngo Sach Thuc suggested that, based on the mentioned 13-policy proposal, all members of the Advisory council should expand the research scope, understand deeply and analyze inadequacies in solving concerned environmental pollution, thereby propose adjustments, contributing to a complete environmental protection law which is a part of a comprehensive legal system on the issue, promoting the sustainable development of the country in the new period of time.
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