SMEs pushed to cut down on energy use

VietNamNet Bridge – Next year will see the deployment of 150 energy-saving projects by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in an effort to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and production costs.

The master-plan aims to encourage the use of environment-friendly technology and effective management of energy use among SMEs involed in the production of bricks, ceramics, textiles, paper and food processing.

This drive to cut energy use is part of a master-plan to improve efficiency in the energy use among SMEs as announced at a workshop that took place in Hanoi on Dec. 3.

Director of the plan Nguyen Ba Vinh said the master-plan aims to encourage the use of environment-friendly technology and effective management of energy use among SMEs involed in the production of bricks, ceramics, textiles, paper and food processing.

The move is expected to help reduce the quantity of CO2 emitted by SMEs by 962,000 tonnes and cut energy costs in production by between 10 and 15 percent, equivalent to 136,000 tonnes of oil.

To meet next year’s target, business representatives requested that the project act as a guarantor for full bank loans for enterprise to apply energy-saying solutions, as opposed to the current rate of just 75 percent.

(Source: VNA)

Update from: http://english.vietnamnet.vn//tech/2008/12/816846/