A Vietnamese man has chosen to follow the newest agricultural trend which guarantees both profit and quality, with human health always in his mind. While most villagers in Son La Province, located in northwestern Vietnam, still rely heavily on pesticides when growing vegetables and fruits, 30-year-old Vu Xuan Thanh pioneers clean agriculture practices with his organic crops. The Na San region, near Son La’s airport, is where Thanh’s orange garden is located. Customers are often invited to visit, observe, and acquaint themselves with clean agricultural practices that are becoming Thanh’s values to guarantee safety and quality of the goods he sells. Thanh’s garden of one hectare is covered with orange trees with ripe fruits hanging off of the branches that look like orange polka dots on a green background from afar. All these oranges are waiting to be reaped and sold in Hanoi’s organic grocery store chain ahead of Tet, when many kinds of fruit are in high demand. Tet is the … [Read more...] about Vietnamese man brings organic agriculture to his village
Mutiny lyrics set your goals
Displaying readiness for the energy transition in Vietnam
The energy transition in Vietnam is tied to the rapid growth of the economy, urbanisation, and industrialisation. We have seen the strong aspiration of the government to speed up the energy transition while meeting the requirements of economic development and the goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045. Energy transition is more seen as a potential engine for employment, and this trend will likely grow, helping to build support for renewables. John Rockhold, head of the Power and Energy Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum Fossil energy sources are gradually being replaced by green and clean energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, while Vietnam is one of the first countries to renew its nationally determined contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2020. The roadmap for the country’s transition process towards green and sustainable development will not only need to ensure … [Read more...] about Displaying readiness for the energy transition in Vietnam
Nordic countries share circular economy, waste management solutions with Vienam
Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, shared their experience in green solutions to a circular economy and waste management and policy implications for Vietnam at a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday. The seminar was organized by the Embassies in Vietnam of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden and Fulbright University Vietnam to mark the occasion of Nordic Day 2023 (March 23). In his opening remarks at the seminar, Ambassador of Denmark to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz said with a long tradition of working together to find solutions to common challenges, the Nordic countries are proud to share their experience and knowledge with Vietnam. “We believe that sharing experience and best practices with our partners is essential to promoting sustainable development,” Prytz added. Meanwhile, Ambassador of Norway to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken highlighted the role of the private sector in promoting green innovation, saying, "In the Nordic region, we have seen … [Read more...] about Nordic countries share circular economy, waste management solutions with Vienam
Cultural heritage to propel Hanoi’s future development
Hanoi aims to become the leading locality in the development of cultural creative space. The various cultural heritages that exist in Hanoi have significant potential, serving as a foundation and resource for Hanoi's socio-economic growth, particularly in cultural tourism development. Overview of the conference. Photos: Lai Tan/The Hanoi Times Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Ha Minh Hai gave the remarks at an international conference titled “Promoting the role of world cultural and natural heritages in sustainable development for Hanoi” today [March 24]. Cultural heritages as invaluable assets According to Hai, Hanoi is positioned as the political-administrative center of Vietnam and is a significant center for culture, science, education, economy, communication, and international trade. Hanoi is also known as the "Heritage City" and is the leading locality in terms of the number of monuments, he said. “The city’s cultural heritage … [Read more...] about Cultural heritage to propel Hanoi’s future development
Vietnam calls for stronger ASEAN – E.U. relations
Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao, who is also head of Vietnam's Delegation to the E.U., made the statement at a workshop to review the relations between ASEAN and E.U. over the last four decades in Brussels on March 21. Speaking on behalf of ASEAN at the discussion on trade cooperation, Thao highlighted the great potential for the two sides to further step up trade cooperation, which he said is a driver of the ASEAN - E.U. relations. According to the diplomat, the two sides are now the third largest trade partners of each other. They have mutual complementarity in key export products, and at the same time have the needs and policies to diversify supply chains. The E.U. is also the second biggest foreign investor in ASEAN with more than 380 billion EUR invested in ASEAN as of 2021. He proposed that the two sides should set up a free trade agreement (FTA) on the basis of bilateral FTAs that the E.U. has signed with ASEAN member nations, including Vietnam. The … [Read more...] about Vietnam calls for stronger ASEAN – E.U. relations
No time to waste in building the offshore wind industry
As part of the draft national Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), Vietnam plans to generate 7GW offshore wind capacity by 2030, but the lack of an official strategy is hindering progress. At a conference organised by the Central Economic Committee last week, Mark Hutchinson, chairman of the Southeast Asia Task Force, said, “7GW of offshore wind is crucial for Vietnam for its net-zero goal and for the country’s long-term energy security. Our message has been the same for years – a clearly defined route to the market is needed.” He said that offshore wind deployment was in its early stages and the deployment of the country’s 4GW of offshore wind was not driven by a direct auction mechanism but instead arranged at a time when clear policy measures were not in place. Thus, he called for accelerating a large-scale pilot or mechanism that covers a certain volume of the target, to bypass obstacles and fast track wind power. “There are now two main options: an accelerating mechanism such … [Read more...] about No time to waste in building the offshore wind industry
Vietnam stresses importance of ethical standards in handling water resources
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has highlighted the need to establish a social ethical standard in relations and behaviours regarding water resources, especially transboundary water, in accordance with the principles of fairness, equality, rationality, and respect for the rights and interests of other countries in river basins. He made the call when addressing the opening session of the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York on March 22. Sharing concerns about the fact that nearly one-third of the world's population are living in countries with water stress or scarcity, the Deputy PM stressed that the water agenda should be given a prominent position in sustainable development, alongside climate change, socio-economic development and environmental development. He said a global science-based legal framework is needed to orient and coordinate the sustainable exploitation, use, and restoration of … [Read more...] about Vietnam stresses importance of ethical standards in handling water resources
Japan invites Vietnam to attend G7 Summit
The Japanese Government on March 20 announced the invitation of Vietnamese leaders to attend the expanded G7 Summit, set to take place in Hiroshima from May 20 to May 21, said deputy spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on March 23 during the Ministry’s regular press conference held in Hanoi. (Image source: Japan Center for International Exchange) Regarding the analysis of foreign media that Japan wants to invite Vietnam and Indonesia to the G7, Hang said this shows that Japan attaches importance to relations with ASEAN and desires to upgrade the relationship to a comprehensive partnership, Hang affirmed. Vietnam highly appreciates the strong and substantive progress in the ASEAN-Japan relationship, which has actively contributed to the common goal of peace, security, stability and prosperity. The country welcomes and stands ready to work with ASEAN member states and Japan with a view to taking bilateral ties to new heights, towards … [Read more...] about Japan invites Vietnam to attend G7 Summit
Bac Giang promotes consumption of OCOP products associated with tourism
A farmer harvests lychees grown under GlobalGAP standards in Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province. (Photo: VNA) Bac Giang (VNA) – The northern province of Bac Giang plans to strengthen communication activities for products of the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) programme and promote the consumption of OCOP products associated with tourism activities this year. Launched in 2018, the OCOP programme in Vietnam focuses on developing specialty products and high-quality products in rural areas to increase incomes for locals and boost the sustainability of economic development in rural areas. OCOP products are commercial products and services such as food and beverages, handicrafts, and rural tourism services. They are classified as having one to five stars. Under the programme, activities are conducted to build and promote value chains, which help promote economic restructuring and improve people's income and living standards. Bac Giang province set out the goal that by the … [Read more...] about Bac Giang promotes consumption of OCOP products associated with tourism