The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Institute of Natural Resources and Environment Training and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment’s Environment Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Hanoi on December 16 on the building of carbon neutral municipalities (HINKU) and held a consultation seminar on the project.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan
(Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong) 

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan lauded the HINKU model, which has proved successful in Finland since 2008, with an aim to reduce greenhouse gas emission to 80 percent by 2030.

He said the project will be piloted in the central city of Da Nang and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to promote the development of eco-friendly and smart cities, towards fulfilling the national environment targets.

The MoU signing also creates favourable conditions for joint work across education, training, and science-technology research, he said.

Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kari Kahiluoto, for his part, said Finland has helped Vietnam with issues regarding waste-to-energy process, policymaking and hydrometeorology over the past years.

He added that a large number of cities have adopted the model and taken the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emission and fighting climate change.