Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Hanoi'sDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment has outlined a planto reduce air pollution in 2020.

'Green Initiates for Hanoi' willfocus on air quality management, waste management, energy, urban planning,and green living with sustainable consumption.

The department will develop an airmonitoring network using low-cost air pollution sensors in selected areasof the city to provide online updates for the publicregarding pollution levels.

Air sensors will initially beinstalled in public places and 25 schools and offices in the city.

To increase public awareness aboutair pollution, regular activities will be held and the issue of air qualitywill be included in the school curriculum.

Waste management will includelimiting the burning of agricultural waste, reducing plastic use andenhancing waste collection.

“Burning straw andagricultural waste is one of the main reasons for serious air pollutionand increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the city,” said Le Thanh Thuy, anexpert from the department.

“The department will carry out apilot programme to show farmers how to use probiotics to produce compostfrom straw,” she said.

To reduce the use of energy,efficiency models will be introduced including the use of energy-saving bulbs,and the use of renewable energy for cooking, heating and lighting.

The city will also carry outcampaigns to reduce plastic waste, promote the use ofenvironmentally-friendly products, set up green offices andpromote organic agriculture.

“A green office is an environmentalmanagement system focusing on changing employees' perceptions andbehavior towards sustainable consumption practices. This helps solveexisting problems and reduce costs and the environmental impacts ofan organisation's activities to benefit the organisation and create ahealthy, friendly working environment,” said Thuy.

The plan was introduced ata workshop dubbed “City Initiatives in Climate Change and the KeyProgress in Developing City Promises” which was co-held by the department andthe global network ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.

The workshop was in the framework ofthe Ambitious City Promises campaign implemented by the ICLEI and fundedby the International Climate Initiative under Germany’s Ministry of theEnvironment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, which focuseson reducing greenhouse gas emissions through participatory andinclusive local climate action.

The project is designed to advancethis work by increasing the capacity of local governments, engagingcitizens and driving climate action through low emission strategies.

The Promise of Seoul which is at theheart of the project, is a comprehensive climate action plan launched by the Republicof Korea in 2015.

The Promise of Seoul selectedSoutheast Asian cities, including Vietnam’s Hanoi, Soc Son and Son Tay,Indonesia’s Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang, and the Philippines’s Pasig,Parañaque and Marikina to make ambitious commitments, mainstream low emissionstrategies and cultivate new climate champions in the region.

“The project aimed to call bigcities in the Southeast Asia with first countries of Vietnam, Indonesia andPhilippines to commit cutting the greenhouse gas emission and support thecities to set up their action plans,” said Ranell Martin Dedicatoria fromthe ICLEI.

The engagement of governmentsfrom central to grassroots levels to activate climate change responsewas very significant, he said./.