“Green Economy: Does it include You?” is the major theme of World Environment Day 2012 which was celebrated in the northern border province of Quang Ninh on June 3.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai asked sectors and localities to speed up economic restructuring, reduce the use of natural resources, promote ecological and environmental service industries, and limit the development of economic sectors that discharge large amounts of waste, causing environmental pollution and degradation. 

He called for initiatives to minimise green house gas emissions, encourage the use of renewable energy, mitigate the impact of climate change, and enhance efficiency in the use of energy and natural resources.  

He also called for a ‘green’ lifestyle and sustainable consumption in harmony with the living environment, along with allocating increased financial resources for environmental protection.

 The Green economy is a viable choice for many countries across the world. The new model is said to help address global challenges such as climate change, overuse of natural resources, and food and energy security. It is also the prerequisite for achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.

In Vietnam, the government has shown its determination to renew its growth model, restructure its economy towards sustainable development, minimise the impact of climate change, and link growth to social equality, poverty reduction and environmental protection.

 However, the Vietnamese economy relies heavily on the exploitation of natural resources and uses large amounts of materials and energy, causing environmental pollution.

 To address the issue, Vietnam has formulated a law on using energy economically and efficiently, and a cleaner production strategy till 2030.

 The government has assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to draft a green growth strategy for the 2011-2020 period, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to study amendments to the 2005 Law on Environmental Protection to meet the requirements for environmental protection in the new context.   

VOV