Model recommendations for optimize technology to achieve a sustainable environment in Viet Nam

Smartphone app to access environmental information

In regards to the limitations in Vietnam policies, it is crucial to be informative and take into consideration other models performed by different countries. Access to information in Vietnam remains a problem. Although the information on Vietnam's air quality is available on the website, not everyone can know about this channel and even many people are not yet able to access the information. On the other hand, many people are now using smartphone applications for air quality monitoring. As such, the government may consider disseminating air quality monitoring information through a smartphone app.

Compared to it, Germany can perform rather significantly in terms of information provision. German federal administration, which is responsible for different kinds of natural resources including air pollution management, works effectively since it is an independent monitoring system that provides solid information instruments. The Environmental Information Act on the federal level and the equivalent acts on the level of the Lander are responsible for information publicity, at the same time act as law enforcement agencies giving warnings, policies and administer relevant agencies to implement measures controlling air quality. Both citizens and non – governmental organizations and groups have the right to access environmental information introduced by the government to the public, especially through the internet.

Germany also has an updated reporting system every four years, in which the Environmental Ministry is responsible for giving out the assessment. Education is also one of the main means to raise awareness of young children, as it is part of school curricula. One program accounted for this is the National Action Plan Education for Sustainable Development – proposed by the United Nation and adopted by Germany’s body for the implementation of GAP on 20 June 2017.

The electric vehicle model

A program induced by Germany that Vietnam should consider is raised by one young company based in Berlin Ubitricity. It brings charging solutions and has gained support from the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology. Ubitricity has developed technology for drivers to charge their electric vehicles from renewable resources at the grid from almost any location. This is one practical resolution to stimulate the use of electric vehicles since it works out the kinks of fuel and steps closer to a greenhouse-gas-free transportation future. In fact, more than 1000 lamplights have been converted into electrical charging points around the city, increasing the number of charging stations in the place needed, especially where vehicles park for a long period.

This model is well-suited for Vietnam since the electric vehicle in the Vietnamese automobile market is young and full of potential. Electric motorbikes, along with motorcycles, are currently the most famous means of transportation. Domestically, brands like Vinfast are growing gradually and promoting their electric motorbikes brand by offering charging places in every Vinmart store. However, this is solely available for Vinfast products and therefore still lacks incentive for transporters to convert from traditional gas motorbikes to the new type. In order to promote more use of electric transportation, the Vietnamese government should learn from models made by German and take into account building more charge stations.

Beijing has taken a big step in the low-end of the carline and moved to car power, thereby improving the air quality for its 21 million citizens. Beijing is becoming one of many Chinese cities to take full advantage of electrochemical methods to reduce air pollution. Not only that, in just eight years, Shenzhen became the first city in the world to electrify all 16,359 public buses, followed by Shanghai and Hangzhou. “Electric buses are a start and it's just a small step in the company's plan. In the future, we also want to electrify all taxis, trucks, and all other vehicles” said China's electric vehicle manufacturer BYD. China has become the leader in electric vehicles, owning 99% of the 385,000 electric buses in the world, a figure that is expected to grow to 600,000 by 2025. This means that the country not only leads the global market for electrical equipment but also has made great achievements in reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. The source of this dramatic growth lies in the distinctive combination of political, technological, and economic policies employed by China in its fight against air pollution. Beijing's 20-year journey to combat air pollution has now reached every sector of the city's economy and has significantly affected the lives of its 21 million residents. China, once considered the "Kingdom of bicycles", with bicycles dominating most of the streets, has seen a shift to the use of cars as its economy grows and dollars. Strong urbanization came with the increase in people's wealth. The things that seemed like a symbol of the once-wealthy people of Beijing were one of the reasons for the rapid decline in air quality. Through the plan, the Beijing government has introduced bike-sharing programs, aimed at once again encouraging people to use bicycles in the city. “For any short ride, people just use their bikes. It is extremely convenient and the people love it. The current metro system is longer and more convenient, with a total network of about 700 kilometers. Now people love to use the subway to go to work every morning” said Mr. Liu Xin.

The material recycling model

Sweden is among the top countries with the best air quality, according to a report from environmental campaign organization Greenpeace and software company AirVisual. One of the reasons behind its success is the strong actions on solid waste disposal, which should be taken by Vietnam. This model includes material recycling, which is the top priority and carried out by the majority of Swedish households. Wastes in households are separated into different categories namely: Food waste, plastic, paper and glass, electronics, metals, tires, and batteries. For this categorization to be lucrative, the awareness and dedication of citizens is the key factor. This has led Sweden to be one of the global leaders for sustainable waste management. Another method for waste disposal is waste incineration with energy recovery. A large proportion of waste is disposed of in waste-to-energy facilities, where both district heating and electricity are generated. As a result of steps taken, less than one percent of total waste produced in the country is disposed of in landfills. One implementation of this is the establishment of the Centre of Excellence of Waste Management at Uganda’s University in 2017. This university then undertakes waste accumulation in urban areas and handling biowaste with innovative research and technology development, such as biogas.

Sweden also cut down a large percentage of agriculture emissions by increasing productivity. The size of the farm and cattle population has been drastically decreasing by applying new product pricing mechanisms and adopting European Union agricultural policy regulations.

Nguyen Thi Hoai Linh

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References

• CCAC (2012). Retrieved from https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/partners/sweden

• Hai Ha (2020). "Cai thien o nhiem khong khi, VN co the hoc gi tu the gioi". Retrieved from https://vovgiaothong.vn/cai-thien-o-nhiem-khong-khi-vn-co-the-hoc-gi-tu-the-gioi

• John Allen (2019). "How Germany is Tackling Pollution". Retrieved from https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=938

• Media mentions (2019). "Converting Street Lamps into Charging Stations". Retrieved from https://www.ubitricity.com/converting-street-lamps-into-charging-stations/

• Thanh Thang (2019). "Vi sao Bac Kinh co the giam thieu o nhiem khong khi nhanh den nhu vay?". Retrieved from https://tapchitaichinh.vn/tai-chinh-quoc-te/vi-sao-bac-kinh-co-the-giam-thieu-o-nhiem-khong-khi-nhanh-den-nhu-vay-316646.html