DA NANG, 29 June – The Vice Minister of Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam (Mr. Nguyen The Phuong), the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (Mr. Li Yong) and other high-level representatives visited the Hoa Khanh industrial zone in Da Nang to witness some of the achievements of the multi-focal GEF-funded project “Implementation of eco-industrial park initiative for sustainable industrial zones in Vietnam”.

Jointly implemented by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment and UNIDO, the project seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, water pollution, persistent organic pollutants and other chemicals of global concern. At the same time, it seeks to demonstrate innovative, clean and low-carbon practices in the provinces of Ninh Binh, Can Tho and Da Nang.

To date, the project has completed 72 company assessments, proposed 880 clean technology solutions, which resulted in yearly savings of over US$3 million, and attracted investment in excess of US$9 million to implement those solutions.

“The project contributes significantly to the capacity of operators in promoting the implementation of industrial production good practices,” said Li. “The promotion of cooperation among companies leads to improved energy use, minimized material and water flows, air emissions and waste management.”

Such good practices include the adoption of Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) technologies, of Best Available Techniques (BAT) for emission control, and the Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technologies (TEST), as well as the reuse of individual company’s waste by developing a ‘symbiosis’ approach among companies located in the Hoa Khanh industrial zone.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Jerome Stucki , Industrial Development Officer, UNIDO Emerging Compliance Regimes Division, UNIDO (Vienna), [email protected]

Ms. Tran Thanh Phuong, National Project Manager, Ministry of Planning and Investment -UNIDO, EIP Project (Vietnam), [email protected]