Officials from many Asian nations met in the capital to discuss environmental protection.
 |
| The 3,500cu.m capacity Bai Chay waste water treatment factory is newly-built in Quang Ninh Province.— VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan |
HA NOI — Nearly 200 enterprises and officials gathered here yesterday to share experiences in development relating to environmental protection, at the East Asia Business Forum on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development.
It was a chance for enterprises from 16 East Asian countries and territories to learn effective models from each other toward sustainable development, said Tran Hong Ha, the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, in his opening speech.
The models for businesses presented at the forum included the South Korean delegation introducing recycling, green industries from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), biomass from Japan and the environmental quality promotion and protection strategic plan from Thailand.
Jung Gun Young, the Chief Representative of the Korea Environment and Resources Corporation (ENVICO) Asia Office expressed the importance of recycling in South Korea and in ASEAN countries generally.
“It is necessary to build a recycling society where the cyclical flow of materials and energy is applied to human society and natural resources are banned from excessive exploitation and are made effective use of, so as to preserve natural resources and to reduce environmental pollution through reduction, reuse and recycling of resources,” said Jung Gun Young.
The whole process of resource exploitation, production, sale, and disposal should be sustainable, said he.
Recycling has brought South Korea US$940 million in the last five years, with waste decreased by 44 per cent and recyclables collected increased by 134 per cent.
Small enterprises should comply with environmental laws and regulations, and eliminate waste and the use of toxins, while promoting worker health and safety, said Junichi Mori from UNIDO.
The Thai government has established an environmental quality promotion and protection strategic plan which is the framework to promote, rehabilitate and protect the quality of the environment, said Somkiat Anuras, Vice Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
Biomass can be converted into energy such as electricity, heat or liquid fuel, and bio-degradable plastics or industrial materials, said Shinichi Suzuki, the executive director of EX Corporation, specialising in environmental management and urban development planning.
For example, waste plastics in Japan are recycled into alternative fuel in place of coal or wood and are utilised for water heating. These fuels are supplied to large-scale factories in the community, said Suzuki.
The Toyako-cho Town of Japan is working to produce bio-diesel from waste cooking oil from hotels and composting livestock manure and residues from marine product processing, said he.
Viet Nam has established an environment protection fund which in conjunction with enterprises and organisations aims to protect the environment, said Nguyen Nam Phuong, deputy director of the Viet Nam Environment Protection Fund. Under the framework of the forum, enterprises also attended workshops on business and production development relating to environmental protection, cleaner production and environment pollution treatment technology.
Fuel from waste
Enterprises will report effective methods to the ministers in the first meeting of East Asian environment ministers today.
According to representatives from Honda Vietnam, their environmentally-friendly waste incinerator system with the capacity of 6 tonnes per day is a typical example and does not emit toxic substances but creates fuel from the waste.
Zamil Steel Buildings Viet Nam Ltd Company strives for sustainable development by using recycled steel and efficient building designs that utilise natural lighting and ventilation.
New waste treatment methods were also introduced such as the treatment of industrial waste water using biological-coupled membrane processes by Pall Company. —
