16/08/2017
To implement Resolution No. 41/NQ-TW dated 15/11/2004 of Politburo of the Việt Nam's Communist Party on environmental protection in the period of boosting the country industrialization and modernization and Resolution No. 24/NQ-TW dated 3/6/2013 of 11th Party Central Committee on proactively responding to climate change and enhancing natural resource management and environmental protection, Ministry of Transport has enacted Directive No. 07/CT-BGTVT dated 3/8/2016 on enhancing environmental protection in transport sector towards developing a sustainable and environmentally friendly transport system.
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Emission for road vehicles is one of the causes for air pollution |
In recent years, environmental protection in transport sector has made positive progress. Environmental protection organizations and individuals have been established. Staff’s awareness on environmental protection has improved. Environmental regulations in public transport have been developed and enacted to meet practical needs. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) have been seriously conducted for master plans and strategies and investment projects. Vehicles pollution control and prevention have been carried out. Some environmental protection programs and projects have been developed, approved and implemented with certain achievements.
However, environmental protection in transport sector remains some issues. Air pollution in urban areas, in particular Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh city tends to increase. Road vehicle emission has contributed significantly to this problem. Environmental protection requirements for vehicles are increasingly stringent, in particular for vehicles operating in international routes. Dust pollution is becoming common due to transport infrastructure development. Waste collection and treatment remain incomprehensive, responsive and ad hoc.
To address these issues, on 3rd August, 2016, Ministry of Transport issued Directive No. 07/CT-BGTVT on enhancing environmental protection in transport sector. This Directive requires the Ministry’s departments and units to focus on the following tasks:
Reforming environmental protection propaganda and awareness raising for staff members of the Ministry: Integrating environmental regulation propaganda into human resource training, boosting environmental propaganda in transport infrastructure construction, trade and services, increasing the quantity and quality of news and information dissemination on environmental regulations and environmental protection in transport sector on internet and publications, proactively organizing and launching campaigns of the youth participation in environmental activities (World Environment Day, Biodiversity Day, World Ocean Day, and Việt Nam’s Seas and Islands Week);
Improving organizational structure and human resource qualification of environmental protection staff in transport sector: Reviewing and improving environmental technical qualification for agencies and units under Ministry of Transport, studying and integrating environmental protection indicators in evaluating performance of agencies and units under the Ministry, proactively searching for international and domestic funding sources for training and improving capacity of environmental protection staff, assigning managers with environmental tasks and strengthening staff capacity in environmental protection and energy saving and efficiency.
To improve effectiveness of environmental protection in transport sector in a period 2016 - 2020, the Transport sector will implement the following key tasks:
Implementing environmental protection in transport infrastructure development
The Environment Department, Planning and Investment Department and Transport Work Quality and Construction Management Department are responsible for guiding and supervising environmental compliance in development of strategies and master plans, investment and maintenance of transport infrastructure and increasing compliance checking. The departments will ensure sufficient funding for SEA, EIA, and environmental protection plans when developing strategies, master plans and transport infrastructure. They will provide advice so that investors shall take measures for monitoring minimizing negative impacts in design and implementation stages.
Environmental protection in managing vehicles and transport
Speeding up the development and submission to the Prime Minister of a roadmap for applying emission standards of vehicles and motorbikes in big cities; applying three tiers for motorbikes and four tiers for newly manufactured, assembled and imported automobiles following Decision No. 49/2011/QD-TTg dated 01/09/2011; proposing a roadmap for increasing emission standards for imported used vehicles and existing vehicles.
Reviewing and developing regulations, technical regulations and standards for implementing articles in Annexes III, IV, V and VI of the International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and International Convention of the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ship; promoting services of collecting and treating hazardous wastes from sea and inland cargo ships.
Studying and developing regulations on civil aviation in accordance with requirements of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); directing the airlines to organize the collection and treatment of aircrafts in compliance with environmental protection.
Provincial Departments of Transport shall study and propose to Provincial People’s Committees for promoting public transport (in particular mass rapid transport systems) and investing and operating energy saving buses and taxis (such as hybrid, clean fuel, electronic and natural gas vehicles).
Environmental protection in production, trade and services in transport sector
Department of Transport Health shall proactively search for funding for completely treating wastewater in medical centers in transport sectors, directing the medical centers to collect, segregate, store and sign contracts with competent waste treatment authorities; properly operate wastewater systems to meet environmental standards and prevent the addition of new serious polluters.
Transport production, trade and service establishments shall review their environmental records and those under their affiliations to ensure the compliance of requirement on environmental protection programs as stipulated at Point 2, Article 22, Government’s Decree No. 18/2015/ND-CP dated 14/02/2015; establish and apply ISO 14001 Certification in Environment Management and develop and implement fuel consumption norms, regulations on energy saving and efficiency; invest in infrastructure and equipment for collecting, segregating, storing and treating waste to meet environmental requirements; develop plans (or roadmaps) to increase investment in technology changes to remove heavy energy consumption and pollution technologies; organize regular monitoring on emission, wastewater, noise and vibration for environmental compliance.
Trần Ánh Dương
Director General of Environment Department
Ministry of Transport
