Af Wilfred Gluud, Dansk Vietnamesisk Forening
Vietnam har modtaget næsten en milliard dollars (henved seks mia. kr.) i statslig udviklingsbistand (ODA) siden 2009, samt teknisk bistand fra internationale donorer til at håndtere klimaændringer.
Det skaber mange muligheder for danske firmaer med klimakompetence og indsigt i grøn vækst.
Vietnams viceminister for miljø og naturressourcer, Tran Hong Ha, er i København 20-21. oktober i anledning af den internationale konference ”Global Green Growth Forum 2014” og holdt tale mandag – se den længere nede som dokument.
Der er indbudt en udvalgt gruppe til konferencen bestående af 250-300 ledere og beslutningstagere på højt niveau. De kommer fra regeringer, byer og regioner, erhvervsliv, finanssektor, civilsamfundet og internationale organisationer.
Man har i stigende grad erkendt, at hvis økonomien skal vokse og blive grønnere, er man nødt til at tage fat på grundlæggende spørgsmål om, hvordan vi vil leve vores liv, hvor vi vil bo, og hvad vi skal leve af?
Deltagerne kommer fra udviklingslande, vækstlande og udviklede økonomier og vil fokusere på konkrete løsninger, der kan modvirke det uholdbare pres på verdens ressourcer – og de vil inspirere hinanden til at vende de enorme udfordringer vi står overfor, til muligheder for grøn vækst.
Den danske regering støtter initiativer i udviklingslande der kan fremme innovative teknologi- og finansieringsløsninger, inden for landbrug, skovbrug, miljø, energi, vand og klima.
Herunder danske firmaers muligheder for at gå ind og løse problemer via ordrer på konkrete opgaver.
Vietnams problemer
Vietnam er et af de lande, der kan blive hårdest ramt af klimaforandringerne. Det langstrakte land i Sydøstasien med den enorme kystlinje skal forsøge at reducere udledningen af drivhusgasser med 20 procent i 2020 inden for landbrug og skovbrug.
Næsten 90,000 hektar (ha) landbrugsjord i Vietnams sydligste Ca Mau provins er truet, fordi havdigerne er blevet udhulet og forringet på grund af den stigende vandstand.
Vietnam er en af verdens største eksportører af ris, men det område, hvor størstedelen af risen dyrkes – Mekong deltaet -, er også det mest sårbare, når havniveauet stiger (sammen med Egyptens Nildelta og Bangladesh’ Ganges delta).
Der er brug for havdiger, men hvilke teknologier og løsninger? Her kan danske firmaers ekspertise komme til at spille en rolle.
Mangrover og koralrev
Vietnam vil arbejde på at forbedre marine økosystemer overfor klimaændringer og samtidig bevare deres produktivitet.
Arealet med mangroveskove i kystområder og omkring øerne skal i 2020 være 30 pct. større end 2010.
Det skal ses på baggrund af, at arealet af mangroveskov i Mekong deltaet er reduceret drastisk til 15.000 ha, hvor der i 1943-1955 var 154.000 ha.
Vietnam ønsker også, at koralrev ikke reduceres i udbredelse og kvalitet, så 2010-niveauet er uændret i 2020. Det anslås, at 16.000 ha, som svarer til 14,5 pct. af det samlede koralrevsområde, er i god stand nu.
Ministeriet for Naturressourcer og Miljø har opregnet 37 fiskearter, fem rejearter, 27 arter af bløddyr og tre arter af blæksprutter, som er sjældne, truede og i fare for at uddø.
Sardiner og søøre er også blandt de truede arter, der lever i koralrev på øerne Bach Long Vi, Cat Ba, og Co To.
Vietnam indtog femte-pladsen mellem 1990 og 2009 på verdensplan med hensyn til påvirkninger fra klimarelaterede katastrofer. Der var per år i gennemsnit 457 dødsfald og et BNP-tab på 1,9 milliarder dollars.
Kilder: Viet Nam News, udenrigsministeriet og 3GF2014
Se telegrammet http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/06-03-14/danidas-erhvervsprogram-udvider
Og Mogens Poulsens kommentar på
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/blog/362/lav-danida-privat-sektor-programmer-i-filippinerne
DOKUMENT
Tran Hong Has tale mandag i København om forbedring af forholdene i beklædningsindustrien (apparel industry):
(Han er også formand for Vietnam Danmark Venskabs Forening, og mødtes søndag aften med bestyrelsen for Dansk Vietnamesisk Forening og to danske NGO’er, ADDA og WWF).
Attending the Global Green Growth Forum 2014, I am pleased to be involved in the discussion of the partnership initiative of “Creating sustainable apparel value chains” addressed by this session.
The apparel industry is one of key industries in the national economy of Viet Nam, creating millions of jobs and supplying essential daily products for people not only within Viet Nam but also around the world.
In recent years, export turnover of this industry has always been the second biggest in term of earning foreign currency from all export activities of Viet Nam; the fourth in the world in term of manufacturing apparel products, and the second in term of apparel products’ export to EU, USA and Japan markets; contributing significantly to the state budget.
It has been well noted that the apparel industry in Viet Nam has been enjoying certain competitive advantages, such as: stable political environment, young and abundant workforce, large domestic market (of more than 90 million people population – which is a relatively large and potential market for foreign producers).
Viet Nam’s climate is suitable for the development of natural and raw materials for the industry. Joining the WTO (Verdenshandelsorganisationen) has also created more favourable conditions for further development of the industry as members of WTO have lifted export quotas and given the apparel industry of Viet Nam preferential tariff.
Mange udfordringer
However, there are many sustained and growing challenges for this industry.
Wastes and wastewater have yet to be addressed in an appropriate manner. Vietnamese enterprises are now mainly sub-contractors of foreign companies. Local material producers have yet been integrated to the global chain.
So far, the percentage of locally made materials in the production process is quite low. This has resulted in a paradigm. That is though Viet Nam’s apparel export turnover is quite high the industry’s added value and the participation of the global value chains have remained modest.
The Vietnamese government sees sustainable apparel not as a challenge but as an opportunity to increase its textile industry’s value in the global supply chain and to increase its competitiveness. I would like to share some solutions to creating sustainable value chains for apparels and textiles.
My government is working with local apparel companies to show their leadership in sustainability and triple bottom line.
We are also working to get the private sector involved by convincing them about the benefits they will receive, in particular when it is more environmentally friendly and more socially inclusive. For example, by applying cleaner production practices, the industry can save energy and raw material consumption and hence reduce production costs.
Ønsker samarbejder på tværs
The Vietnamese government encourages and facilitates the formation of partnership and coalition between Vietnamese manufacturers and overseas importers, retailers, and importing governments to create sustainable products, facilities and brands.
Sustainable products and brands should not always be expensive. The Vietnamese government calls on importing governments for preferential tax treatment for imported products made by local sustainable materials.
On the other hand, the Vietnamese government is putting in place policies to create favourable conditions for the manufacture and export of environmentally and socially sustainable products.
We welcome the investment in sustainable textile machinery and technologies. We already have in place policies for preferable finance and land treatment for companies that uses greener, cleaner technologies either with local innovation or with imported technologies.
The Vietnamese government is committed to facilitate the use of standards and assessment tools for Vietnam textile industry to promote sustainability.
So far, a large number of local enterprises has certified as SA 8000.
Går ind for klare forbedringer
We welcome more standards and assessment tools, not limited to living wages, child labour and health and safety, but also cover the provision of sustainable livelihoods for apparel workers.
Improved working safety and conditions, good healthcare services, sustainable livelihoods for workers, are one of the key factors to contribute to a sustainable development of the industry at the global and local scales.
We are pleased to know that 3GF partners are launching the initiative of “Creating sustainable apparel value chains”, and we are eager to join it.
I am thinking of some initial considerations about what we should do with joining this initiative, which are:
FIRSTLY, Introducing and ensuring the enforcement of better environmental-related production standards, norms and best practices that are aligned with green-growth vision.
SECONDLY, raising awareness and assisting in compliance capacity building for local business participating in the global value chain of the apparel industry.
THIRDLY, encouraging foreign investors in the apparel industry to join the common efforts by sharing joint responsibilities for the shared green growth vision.
And FINALLY: raising the awareness and encouraging the participation of both local and global consumers by enabling them to choose rights products and responsible brands.
The global apparel industry is transforming, the value chains have been in a process of being sustainable with optimised environmental footprints and adequate working conditions.
However, a lot of homework still requires doing at the global and local scale for creating sustainable apparel value chains.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam will closely coordinate with local partners to strengthen dialogues with 3GF partners to implement initiatives and good practice towards sustainable development.
(slut)
