The "Green Sunday" movement is spreading strongly in the community.

Building smart green infrastructure

After many years of launching, the “Green Sunday” movement has gone into depth, turning garbage collection, source sorting, and plastic bag reduction into daily habits of many people. “Green Sunday” is now not just a slogan, but has shaped a civilized lifestyle, responsible for the environment.

Nguyen Chi Tai, member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue City, said: "When people see the practical benefits of a clean environment, the movement will no longer be a "movement", but will become a daily lifestyle of Hue people."

Changes in the community do not stop at specific actions but also create the foundation for a larger goal: Building a smart, circular city. The city government determined that the environment must be placed at the center, linked with modern infrastructure and enhanced community awareness.

Along with the community movement are strategic infrastructure projects. Typically, the Phu Son Waste-to-Energy Plant is considered a turning point in the management of domestic solid waste. With a capacity of 600 tons/day, applying the technology of a mechanical ladder grate incinerator, the Plant both processes waste and generates renewable energy, gradually ending direct landfill. However, the effectiveness of the Plant is only sustainable when waste is classified at the source: Recycled and organic waste are separated, the volume to be burned is reduced, and recycled materials are utilized. Only then will the cycle be truly closed, the recycling industry develop, and people benefit from a clean living environment.

At the corporate level, the city cooperates with Vingroup in implementing green transportation, green industrial zones, carbon credits, healthcare, and culture. Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Hue City People's Committee Nguyen Van Phuong emphasized in a working session with Vingroup: "Public-private cooperation is the key to turning green transformation into concrete, sustainable socio-economic values."

Policy, cooperation and sustainable urban identity

The steps taken by the community and infrastructure will not be sustainable without a coherent policy framework. If the community movement is the “undercurrent”, then policy is the “skeleton” of the transformation process.

Since the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 took effect, Hue City has issued many resolutions and specific plans to realize the goal of green development. In particular, Plan 284/KH-UBND, dated July 4, 2025, sets targets for 2030: 100% of domestic solid waste is collected and treated; the proportion of renewable energy reaches 20%; energy savings 6-7%. These figures show the determination to turn slogans into measurable actions.

According to UNDP experts, Hue has the opportunity to become a model circular urban area in Vietnam if it maintains inter-sectoral cooperation, encourages innovation in businesses and promotes community awareness.

However, there are still many challenges. Typically, the classification of waste at source is not uniform; many industrial clusters lack wastewater treatment infrastructure; the plan for collecting waste service fees is not unified, causing difficulties for both businesses and people. If not overcome, the cycle is at risk of being "broken", reducing overall efficiency.

In the development process, Hue is always associated with heritage conservation. The expanded walking streets and green public spaces not only reduce pollution but also create tourist attractions and renew cultural values. Heritage and environment are therefore inseparable, contributing to the formation of a unique identity of a smart and circular city.

To achieve the goal, Plan No. 284/KH-UBND identifies many groups of solutions: Raising awareness and capacity of officials, businesses, and the community on circular economy; perfecting policies, building mechanisms to promote circulation; supporting green production and business; increasing the rate of waste collection and treatment; building evaluation indexes, monitoring progress and socio-economic and environmental impacts.

With the combination of community, infrastructure, technology, policy and international cooperation, Hue is gradually taking shape as a new face - a smart, circular city, where heritage conservation goes hand in hand with sustainable development.

Article and photos: Le Tho

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/hue-kien-tao-do-thi-tuan-hoan-158336.html