The reasons why Vietnam should strive to build carbon cities

DNHN - Experts say that to deal with the threats of climate change and environmental pollution, building carbon cities has become an important trend in sustainable urban development.

Vietnam is facing a large amount of carbon emissions from polluting energy sources such as coal and oil. Building carbon cities aims to reduce dependence on these energy sources by increasing the use of renewable energy sources and saving energy. By using clean and smart energy systems, carbon cities can reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the global goal of reducing carbon emissions.

Building carbon cities not only helps reduce carbon emissions but also creates a better living environment for residents. Carbon cities are often designed with green spaces, public parks and efficient public transport systems. This helps to create clean air, reduce noise and improve people’s quality of life.

Vietnam is one of the countries most seriously affected by climate change, with many natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Building carbon cities can help improve Vietnam’s resilience to climate change. By integrating environmental and climate protection measures into urban planning, we can minimise the impact of climate change and create a safer living environment for residents.

Building carbon cities is not only an environmental protection measure but also creates opportunities for sustainable economic development. Investing in smart infrastructure and using clean energy can promote the development of new industries, create jobs and enhance Vietnam’s economic competitiveness in the international market. At the same time, the construction of carbon cities also attracts the attention and support of international organisations, opening up opportunities for cooperation and sharing of experiences with international partners.

Concerning this issue, Dr Thai Duy Sam, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Building Materials Association, said that building materials industry enterprises have been actively implementing green production development, both in terms of technology and raw materials.

Meanwhile, Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh My, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the city aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2030 and move towards a low-carbon economy. To achieve this, the unit has actively instructed facilities and enterprises in five areas: industrial production, transport, energy, agricultural production activities and waste treatment to carry out steps to inventory and report the amount of emissions in production and business activities.

“At the same time, encourage businesses to proactively develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in production and business; promote the application of technology in the collection and treatment of wastewater and waste in the direction of regeneration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”, she said.

According to experts, successfully building and developing a low-carbon urban model is not entirely simple, because most of the requirements for reducing carbon emissions and responding to climate change have not been considered or integrated into urban development planning or the implementation of planning has not been good, so the negative impacts of climate change are still occurring in some places. Low-carbon products and services are all new products that require a lot of effort, cost and time to invest, so the cost will be relatively high compared to traditional products and services. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust appropriate urban management measures; and develop low-carbon industrial urban areas based on available resources and the industrial advantages of the locality in addition to developing low-carbon tourism, and high-tech industry to reduce costs to the lowest level.

In summary, Vietnam should aim to build carbon cities to reduce carbon emissions, improve the quality of the living environment, enhance resilience to climate change and encourage sustainable economic development. This is an important trend in urban development and brings many benefits to Vietnam in terms of the environment, people’s lives and economic development. Vietnam needs to promote research and investment and promote policies and plans to support the construction of carbon cities to achieve a sustainable and prosperous future.

Nghe Nhan