ĐÀ NẴNG — More than 1,500 participants from 183 member countries will take part in the 6th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly at the central city’s Aryiana International Convention centre from June 23-29.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said the 6th GEF Assembly and Associated Meetings, held every four years, aims to review general policies and evaluate the GEF’s operations based on reports submitted to the council as well as the membership of the facility itself.

The event will also consider the establishment of the restructured global environmental facility on the basis of recommendations by the GEF Council.

As planned, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc will attend the meeting alongside local leaders, heads of institutes, scientists and businesses.

Việt Nam will show its commitment to sustainable development at the 6th GEF Assembly by promoting co-operation among member countries and seeking international support in the industries of finance, technology, capability improvement, responses to climate change, and biodiversity.

It’s also a good opportunity for Việt Nam to promote its culture, landscapes and people to the world.

Việt Nam, who joined the GEF in 1994, has participated strongly in the activities of the organisation and has implemented reformed policies set by it.

The country has received sponsorship for 107 projects, worth US$457 million, which deal with environmental problems in various localities.

Việt Nam has been allocated a fund of $26 million from the GEF in the fields of climate change, biodiversity and soil degradation.

Since 1991, the GEF has provided over $17.9 billion in grants and mobilized an additional $93.2 billion in co-financing for more than 4500 projects in 170 countries.

Through its Small Grants Programme (SGP), the GEF has invested $450 million and leveraged similar levels of co-financing to support more than 14,500 community-based projects in 125 countries.

In 2012, Đà Nẵng was chosen to implement an Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) low-carbon model town project with a view to expanding it to districts and cities throughout the country and the world.

As part of its push to become a low-carbon city, Đà Nẵng has also proposed battery-powered bikes; technology to curb greenhouse gas emissions and has used renewable energy sources; the city has also approved a metro system and a rapid bus transit system.

It has already cut 12,000 tonnes of carbon emissions through a pilot project between 2008-11.

The city, which hosted APEC’s Leaders Week in 2017, plans to reduce 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in comparison to 2016.

A solar power plant with a capacity of 7.4MWp (Megawatt photovoltaic) is planned for construction in 2019. — VNS