Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect the environment

Promote emission reduction measures

In recent years, Lao Cai has promoted activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through combating deforestation and forest degradation. Along with that, specialized sectors have effectively implemented the national target program on energy saving and efficiency, increasing the ability of ecosystems to absorb greenhouse gases.

According to a report by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao Cai, the Provincial People's Committee has a policy to encourage people to apply appropriate technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as waste treatment with biogas pits to utilize as fuel gas.

Since 2014, Lao Cai has implemented the Biogas Project for the livestock industry with 4,700 biogas tanks to treat waste using biogas being supported for construction. The practical effectiveness of the project has been replicated by people throughout Lao Cai province with about 7,000 biogas tanks being built, contributing to reducing emissions, protecting the environment and turning livestock and agricultural waste into resources.

In addition, Lao Cai province has invested in building a plant to treat urban domestic waste in Lao Cai city (capacity of more than 100 tons/day) into organic fertilizer. In addition, it has participated in researching models of waste treatment into electricity; installed solar power systems, solar water heaters in households and office buildings, hotels, and restaurants, contributing to reducing electricity consumption.

Lao Cai has increased propaganda for people to classify waste and use biogas technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the environment.

Currently, for rooftop solar power systems, there are 154 families and businesses in Lao Cai province installing with a designed/installed capacity of 1,993 MW, the electricity output signed for electricity purchase and sale contracts and connected to the grid is 1,250,310 kWh.

In the field of transportation, Lao Cai encourages technological innovation to use energy saving in transportation, promotes the application of new technology, uses renewable energy, and fuels with low greenhouse gas emissions. Electric car transportation models in Sa Pa town and Lao Cai city are gradually being replicated. The transportation sector is also interested in developing public transportation in the direction of "greening", operating public bus routes and many other types of public passenger vehicles.

Lao Cai has 14 establishments in the list of sectors and establishments emitting greenhouse gases that must be inventoried, including 12 establishments belonging to enterprises in the industrial sector and 2 establishments in the transport sector. According to regulations, the specific inventory will be carried out in the coming period. In the immediate future, specialized sectors will propagate and urge establishments to prepare conditions for the inventory.

Efforts to balance emissions

In addition to reducing emissions, Lao Cai also focuses on protecting and improving forest quality to increase the ability to absorb greenhouse gases, balancing emissions and absorption.

According to the scenario calculated by experts in the REDD+ Report: 2021-2030, the Nationally Determined Emission Reduction Plan will result in a total emission reduction of 1.32 million tons, and with international support, it will be 3.70 million tons of carbon. Thus, with the above assumption, Lao Cai will have 3.7 million tons of commercial carbon, equivalent to 18.5 million USD from selling forest carbon.

Lao Cai also encourages environmentally friendly agricultural and livestock farming models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As a mountainous and border province with a forested forestry land area of 414,930 ha (according to the Lao Cai Provincial Statistical Yearbook 2022), in recent times, Lao Cai has effectively implemented the work of reviewing and planning 3 types of forests in accordance with the planning and land use plan and promptly monitoring and updating forest developments, fluctuations in forest resources and forestry land. Establishing management and protection of the entire existing forest area, strictly managing the natural forest area.

At the same time, strengthen inspection and control of key areas and border areas with high risk of forest encroachment. To date, Lao Cai province has approved the Sustainable Forest Management Plan of 12 forest owners with an area of over 200,000 hectares.

Forest protection is one of the important factors in the problem of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Lao Cai.

Regarding afforestation, in the period of 2021-2023, the whole Lao Cai province planted 19,832.84 hectares of forests, of which: in 2021, 9,579.9 hectares were planted, in 2022, 8,075.84 hectares were planted, and by July 2023, 2,247.1 hectares were planted.

Issue a plan to implement the Project "Planting one billion trees in the period of 2021-2025" in Lao Cai province. Up to now, 6,113,357 trees have been planted.

According to Mr. Luu Duc Cuong, Head of the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Environmental Protection, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are being focused on promoting to subjects in all fields with emissions applying new science and technology. Lao Cai is proposing to the central ministries, departments and branches to issue a circular providing specific instructions on how to pilot the payment for forest carbon absorption and storage services for forest areas that meet the conditions. Along with that, building a plan to sell carbon credits (based on the assessment of greenhouse gas absorption capacity) suitable to the conditions of the province, the roadmap of Vietnam and the world to promote the development of the forest economy .

Lao Cai proactively protects the environment with the goal of improving the quality of life for people.

In addition to the above solutions, in the coming time, Lao Cai will mobilize resources to implement payment for forest carbon sequestration and storage services in the province, including support from the Lao Cai Province Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Biodiversity Conservation Project (VFBC). Currently, Lao Cai has proposed a new international cooperation program with organizations: WB, JICA KOICA, GEAT... to support forest protection and development, improving the lives of local communities.

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