French offer help to cut CO2

| Sourced From Vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn |

QUANG NINH — Even though Viet Nam’s present carbon dioxide emissions were far lower than those in developed countries, it should think seriously about reducing them as part of its future strategy on sustainable development.

These were the words of French scientist Henri Prevot addressing a two-day forum on energy and sustainable development that ended here on Wednesday.

Prevot said average carbon-dioxide emissions in Viet Nam at present were only 1.4 tonnes per person per year compared to 6 tonnes in France, 10 tonnes in Germany and 20 tonnes in the US.

However, they were expected to grow to 10 tonnes per person by 2050, that is why by developing renewable energy sources such as nuclear and biogas, this could be reduced by half.

“We all know that the more carbon dioxide that flows into the atmosphere, the worse our climate will become,” he said.

“If no action is taken, the effects won’t be easy to bear. Viet Nam is expected to be one of the five countries hardest hit by rises in sea levels.”

Other scientists suggested that the Government study the new technology of capturing carbon-dioxide and develop compact cities to lessen the waste of energy.

“It’s impossible to do this in developed countries, but as a developing country, you can take advantage by building new urban areas,” said Christian Jacob, chairman of the French Parliament’s Commission on Sustainable Development and Territory Planning.

Statistics from the Viet Nam Energy Institute indicate that renewable energy sources can cover about 1.5 per cent of total demand. About 50,000 households are already using electricity produced by the new techniques.

According to a report on biomass energy by the Viet Nam Energy Conservation, Research and Development Centre (ENERTEAM), electricity consumption in Viet Nam has risen five-fold in the last four years, from 156kWh to 800kWh per head.

Statistics from the Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade show that Viet Nam will have to import energy by 2015.

Under the National Energy Plan, the Government plans to invest more in renewable energy sources.

“By reducing exhaust emissions, Viet Nam can win big support from developed countries because international co-operation is the main theme in dealing with climate change,” said Jacob.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Bich Dat said that the Government would consider forming partnerships with private companies to provide public buildings with energy from environmentally friendly energy sources.

Later yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said energy-related issues had become increasingly important to Viet Nam, considering its rapid development and ambition to become an industrialised nation by 2020.

He was making an address while receiving French delegates to the forum.

“Viet Nam needs to learn from international experience to ensure future sustainable development,” said Hung. “This includes environmental protection.”

He added that Viet Nam wanted to learn from French development experiences.

Meanwhile, Jacob said Viet Nam should emphasise producing more biomass energy from farm waste, which the country had in abundance.

While Viet Nam had fossil energy resources, he said the new technologies must be brought in to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The French expert also suggested nuclear energy as another effective resource for development.

Selecting the right models for urban and traffic development could also help save on energy, said Jacob.

And he said France was ready to share its experience with Viet Nam in these fields. —VNS

Posted on November 27, 2009 · in Global

Tagged as: Carbon Dioxide • Carbon Emissions • vehicle emissions