VietNamNet Bridge – The deputy head of HCM City's Environmental Protection Agency, Ha Van Dung, has urged the business community to make eco-friendly products to contribute to a greener environment.
"Environmental protection in the fight against global warming has become the duty of everyone, especially those in the business community," Dung said.

Speaking at a seminar held on Tuesday, Nov 22, in HCM City, Dung said promotions were needed to raise public awareness about the urgency of making environmentally friendly products.

Dung spoke at a seminar on Tuesday, organised by the Sai Gon Paper Corporation in collaboration with 350.org, an international campaign against climate change.

On average, one person threw away 0.6-0.8 kg of waste a day, he noted.

Waste disposal in HCM City, which has a population of about 8 million, has created serious environmental problems that affect the health of people and animals, causing serious economic and social losses.

Companies in the city must begin to tightly control raw-material collection, production, and waste treatment, he said, adding that economic development cannot be separated from environmental protection.

Nguyen Quoc Thuc, deputy general director of Sai Gon Paper Corp, one of the leading paper companies in Viet Nam, said the company had applied the 5Gs, a green-product standard: green ideas, structure, technology, process, and environment.

His company has implemented a wastewater management programme and invested in European-standard advanced technology to reduce environmental impact and use of natural resources.

Hoang Thi Minh Hong, a 350.org campaign coordinator, said global warming was caused by fuel burning, forest destruction, industrial production, animal husbandry and daily household and business rubbish.

According to the latest UN report, global warming is caused mostly by human activities (90 per cent), and 10 per cent from natural processes.

In Viet Nam, the Mekong Delta is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by climate change.

At least 38 per cent of the Delta and 23 per cent of the area in HCM City will be flooded if the sea level rises by one metre.

A programme with the aim of highlighting the negative effects of global warming has been launched in Viet Nam by 350.org, an international campaign against climate change.

The programme will be carried out on a national scale with a number of events, including contests, climate camps and mass public-action campaigns that call for everyone to use energy-saving solutions in daily life by walking or cycling.

350.org was founded in the US in 2007. It is the most widespread campaign in the planet's history with the participation of millions of people in 188 countries and territories.

The name of the campaign comes from 350 parts per million (ppm), which is the safe upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere.

Currently, the planet has about 393 parts per million CO2 and this number will continue to rise yearly with more natural disasters predicted due to climate change.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News