The HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment encourages the use of fuel-efficient vehicles. — Photo news.zing.vn

HCM CITY — Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were discussed at a conference organised by the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The event on Wednesday focused on how to encourage businesses to use green energy and save energy.

Technical aid will be provided to help businesses and households access and use energy-saving products, green gadgets and environment-friendly products.

The conference was also aimed at raising awareness of energy efficiency and programmes for energy efficiency to reduce consumption in the community.

In the area of transportation, the conference focused on raising awareness of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, limit the use of private vehicles and develop public transport and encourage the use of the latter.

It also discussed how to encourage fuel efficiency and gradually eliminate obsolete vehicles that consume too much fuel, advocate the use of biological and clean fuels and investment in green energy to run traffic lights.

The department introduced measures to reduce solid wastes at source through education, encourage the use of renewable products and raise the public’s awareness of sorting waste at source and reducing waste.

It encouraged the public to recycle and reuse products and minimise the impacts caused by solid wastes on the environment.

It also encouraged businesses to create a market for recycled products and urged private firms to recycle products for this market.

The department called on relevant authorities to adopt preferential policies and otherwise support businesses’ recycling efforts through incentives such as reduction of land use rents and taxes and technical support for the recycling.

Delegates suggested activities to help businesses achieve energy efficiency and clean and green production.

Officials discussed measures to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce them.

Mai Tuấn Anh, head of the department’s division for hydrometeorology and climate change, said the measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions discussed at the conference would be reported to the People’s Committee

Under the greenhouse-gas emission scenario, Việt Nam is expected to emit 400 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2018, 500 million tonnes by 2020, 600 million tonnes by 2025, and 800 million tonnes by 2030, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

HCM City now emits 38.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the country’s total, the ministry said.—VNS.