Honour best practices in production and utilization of non-fired building materials - Green materials for green life

Attending the Forum were Mr. Le Xuan Dinh, Vice Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology; Mr. Bui Pham Khanh, Vice Minister of Ministry of Construction; Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam; Mr. Tong Van Nga, Chairman of VABM; representatives of line agencies, departments and representatives of honoured businesses, press agencies, television and mass media.

This is an event to honour and encourage best practices leading in changing the awareness of the social community about non-fired building materials (NFBMs), thereby helps promote the market development for production and utilization of NFBMs, contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable development goals and climate change targets in Viet Nam.
 

Vice Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh in his speech at the Forum.
 

In his speech at the Forum, Vice Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh highly appreciated the organization of the Forum, in recent years, especially in the framework of the Project “Promotion of Non-Fired Brick Production and Utilization in Viet Nam”, the Ministry of Science and Technology has cooperated with Ministry of Construction and UNDP Viet Nam to carry out many activities of technical consultancy, training, assistance, helping businesses invest and apply many advanced technologies and techniques to produce and utilize NFBM products with increasingly high quality and efficiency. Mr. Le Xuan Dinh emphasized: The Forum is a practical activity to recognize the positive and effective contributions of best practices in the production and utilization of NFBMs, contributing to the successful implementation of the Government’s NFBM development program with the objective of saving agricultural land, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing environmental pollution.
 

Vice Minister of Construction Bui Pham Khanh in his speech at the Forum.
 

Sharing the same view, Vice Minister of Construction Bui Pham Khanh said: With the goal of developing the field of building materials in a sustainable, environmentally friendly, resource-saving manner, a series of relevant documents and policies were issued as Decision 567/QD-TTg dated 28 April 2010 on the NFBM Development Program (Program 567); Directive 10/CT-TTg dated 16 April 2012 on promoting the utilization of NFBMs, limiting the production and utilization of fired clay bricks and the Decision 1686/QD-TTg dated 19 September 2014 approving the Project “Promotion of Non-Fired Brick Production and Utilization in Viet Nam” of the Prime Minister, these are the Government’s major policies on the sustainable development orientation of Viet Nam’s building material sector.

Although there are still difficulties and obstacles, in the past 10 years, Program 567 has made important achievements, NFBMs have been used in many construction works, the market share of NFBMs has increased significantly, the social community has paid attention with awareness changes in production and utilization of NFBMs.
 

Vice Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh and Chairman of VABM Tong Van Nga awarding Medals and Certificates of “Best practices in production and utilization of non-fired building materials” to businesses.
 

After more than 5 months of implementation with the response of businesses manufacturing equipment, producing and using NFBMs, BMF2019’s Organizing Committee has selected 51 businesses that meet the honour standards according to the Program’s regulations in the following groups: (1) Businesses producing NFBMs; (2) Businesses manufacturing equipment, transferring technology for producing NFBMs; (3) Contractors of construction works using significant NFBMs (4) Investors having construction works using significant NFBMs.
 

Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam at the interview.
 

Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Resident Representative of UNDP Viet Nam commends the Government of Viet Nam and every stakeholder in the brick making sector for their determination, and the effort they put forth to shift the industry from coal fired polluted kilns to environmentally friendly non-fired technology. She highlighted  “Producing and using non-fired bricks is not only possible, but profitable and brings us one step further towards achieving the sustainable development goals and national climate change targets”.
 

Mr. Le Trung Thanh, General Director of Viet Nam Institute for Building Materials presenting report at the Forum.
 

At the Forum, businesses also shared and exchanged innovative solutions on science and technology; corporate governance; difficulties, obstacles and solutions in production and utilization of NFBs, contributing to promoting the successful implementation of the Government's NFBM development program. According to the Chairman of VABM Tong Van Nga, the presentations at the Forum together with the experience sharing of participants in the process of producing and utilizing non-fired bricks in the construction sector, especially those solutions and shortcomings that need to be overcome as well as recommendations to adjust and supplement mechanisms and policies for the development of non-fired bricks in the coming time are extremely important and necessary. On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the Forum, Mr. Tong Van Nga called on the business community towards green development, building green construction works with green materials.