UNDP and The Netherlands Announce Collaboration to Expedite Circular Economy Transition in Vietnam
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Netherlands Embassy in Vietnam have announced cooperation to execute a circular economy capacity building programme for businesses in Vietnam.
The Netherlands, UNDP, and other partners are funding a capacity-building initiative for small and medium businesses to deliver circular economy knowledge, government policies on circular economy development, and EVFTA standards for sustainable commerce.
The ultimate goal is to motivate people to adopt circular economic ideas. The Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and the Environment (ISPONRE), the Environmental Economic Policy Institute (EEPI), the Hue Innovation Hub (Hi Hub), the Institute for Circular Economy Development (ICED), and Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands will collaborate to deliver the programme. The second capacity-building programme for the circular economy will begin in June 2022.
Ms Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, said: "The Circular Economy transition within an enterprise requires both a change in awareness and behaviour to shift production and business activities towards green and sustainable, beside the environmental and economic benefits."
"Small and medium enterprises account for 96% of the total number of businesses in Vietnam, employing 47% of the labour force and contributing 36% to the gross domestic product. The sector, therefore, plays a crucial role in increasing the adoption, implementation and operation of circular business models, low-carbon technologies, and clean technologies.”
Ms Elsbeth Akkerman, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Vietnam, commented: "The transition towards a circular economy is the only way to make our economies, societies, and planet greener and healthier. Through the capacity building programme that we are launching today, we expect Vietnamese enterprises to be equipped with practical knowledge and expertise to develop their circular business models."
In 2021, UNDP partnered with the Norwegian, Dutch, and Finnish embassies to help the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) create the "Vietnam Circular Economy Hub" (CE Hub).
The CE Hub's mission is to develop awareness and capability among all stakeholders (governments, enterprises, civil society, and academia) to encourage them to adopt circular economy ideas, create synergies, and combine financial and technical resources.
A Circular Economy Stewardship Group was formed within the CE Hub. The 1st Circular Economy Training Programme for Firms was successfully organised by UNDP, ISPONRE, Hanoi Foreign Trade University (FTU), and Da Nang Business Incubator (DNES), with two Training of Trainers for 47 lecturers, specialists, and managers, and two CE training courses for 52 businesses.
Source: Kingdom of the Netherlands
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