Developing a green and sustainable economy.

Báo Tài nguyên Môi trường•24/10/2023

Cam Pha High School, a project commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of Quang Ninh province, has just been inaugurated and put into use.

Cam Pha City is known as a major coal mining and thermal power plant industrial center in Quang Ninh province. Coal and mineral mining plays a leading role, helping the city consistently rank among the top-performing localities in the province for many years. However, in the last 10 years, the pace of industrial development has slowed down, indicating that the potential for mining industry development in Cam Pha City in particular, and Quang Ninh province in general, has gradually reached its limit. Open-pit coal mines have reduced reserves due to centuries of exploitation, and increasing production requires costly investment in underground mining. Recognizing these challenges, Cam Pha City and the coal industry have implemented numerous solutions to minimize the negative impacts of coal mining on the surrounding environment.

In addition, Cam Pha City and the coal industry have successfully implemented the urgent environmental protection project for the coal industry in Quang Ninh province (2016-2020). This includes focusing on greening coal waste dumps, relocating residents from areas at risk of landslides and flooding, and installing dust suppression systems at points where dust easily spreads to residential areas. Coal industry units have also installed automatic monitoring stations for mine wastewater quality to ensure effective monitoring. These solutions have helped the coal industry fundamentally resolve conflicts, achieve sustainable development, and contribute to improving the living environment for local residents.

The city of Cam Pha is becoming increasingly modern and bustling.

At the same time, every year Cam Pha City has organized working sessions with TKV, the Northeast Corporation, and its member units to agree on key tasks and responsibilities for coordination in implementing tasks related to environmental protection and managing the illegal exploitation, processing, transportation, and trading of coal.

In order to gradually reduce its dependence on the mining industry, Cam Pha City has resolutely promoted sustainable industrial production development linked to environmental protection, focusing on solutions to restructure the economy and innovate growth methods from "brown" to "green". Trade and service activities have seen significant, diverse, and abundant development.

As a result, many large-scale, integrated, and modern projects have been invested in and built in Cam Pha City, such as: Vincom Shopping Center, Quang Hanh High-Class Hot Spring Resort, Cam Thinh Industrial Cluster, Quang Ninh LNG Power Plant in Cam Thinh Ward, Mong Duong 2 Thermal Power Plant, and the road connecting the Ha Long - Cam Pha coastal road. When these projects become operational, they have created jobs and stable income for thousands of local workers, promoted socio-economic development, and given the city a modern and attractive urban appearance, fostering regional connectivity.

During the period from 2015 to 2020, Cam Pha City's economy experienced continuous high growth, with an average GDP growth rate of 13.6% per year, higher than the provincial average. The investment environment improved significantly, and for two consecutive years (2017-2018), Cam Pha City maintained its leading position in the Departmental and Local Competitiveness Index (DDCI).

In September 2023, the socio-economic situation in the area developed relatively stably, with production value in all sectors increasing compared to the same period last year. Specifically, industrial and construction production increased by 9.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries increased by 9%; total retail sales of goods and service revenue increased by 16% compared to the same period. State budget revenue reached VND 12,948 billion, and the portion of the budget assigned by the province to the locality for implementation reached VND 1,970 billion.

Loading coal onto ships in the waters off Cam Pha City.

These outstanding results have created new momentum and strength for the city to develop faster and more sustainably, contributing positively to the transformation of the development model from "brown" to "green" as outlined in the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress and the Resolution of the City Party Congress, term 2015-2020. For the period 2020-2025, Cam Pha City aims for an average annual growth rate of production value of 13% or more. By 2025, the economic structure will be dominated by industry and construction, accounting for 73.7%; trade and services will account for 25.6%. Furthermore, the city strives to achieve an average annual increase of 10% or more in the provincial budget revenue.

To achieve its set goals, Cam Pha City continues to maintain a "green" growth model, restructure its economy, and transform its development model, effectively implementing the three strategic breakthroughs. This includes accelerating the implementation of transportation infrastructure projects, such as the Ha Long - Cam Pha - Van Don coastal road. Simultaneously, it continues to develop mechanisms and policies to attract, train, and develop high-quality human resources, leading experts, and skilled technicians to meet the province's development needs as it innovates its growth model and shifts its development method from "brown" to "green".

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