Development of "green" industrial parks or eco-industrial park is considered to be a sustainable solution. This approach has been used by many countries, at the moment Vietnam is also trying to develop the strategy and roadmap for the development of this model.

According to the "Eco-Industrial Park Handbook for Asian Developing Countries" of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), there are 7 basic principles to build an industrial park in the direction of an eco-industrial park including: harmonizing with nature, energy systems, materials and waste management; water supply and drainage; effective eco-industrial park management; construction/ renovation; integration with the local community. In the world, there are 30 eco-industrial parks. Many countries have succeeded in developing eco-industrial parks, especially IZ Kalundborg, Denmark which is a typical industrial zone in the world's first applying the research of industrial ecology on developing an industrial symbiosis systems through the exchange of energy and materials among companies. The redundant energy and waste are used efficiently for factories in the industrial zone, avoiding discharge into the natural environment.

Another successful model which is built in Guitang City, Guangdong, China became an eco-industrial city by calling the small-scale sugar factories transporting their waste to Guitang eco-industrial complex to handle.

To develop and duplicate the eco-industrial park model in Vietnam, Dt. Tran Thi My Dieu, Head of Department of Technology and Environmental Management, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh city said that four main factors including environment-friendly design; efficient use of energy; waste recycling and characteristics of eco-industrial parks will be taken into considerations.

Green Industrial Park in Thailand was initiated by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand  (IEAT). With the target to build eco-industrial park, IEAT proposed to cooperate to exchange waste, resource recovery, cleaner production, community programs and eco-industrial network development connecting factories inside and outside industrial zone.

Currently in Vietnam, perspective of building eco-industrial zone has been formed and duplicated the development model. For example, Prime Minister has approved the project to implement “Initiative of eco-industrial park model towards sustainable industrial parks in Vietnam " which is funded by UNIDO grant from the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).  The goal of the project is to increase the transfer, application and dissemination of technology and cleaner production methods so as to reduce hazardous waste, greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial zones in Vietnam.

One of the cities’ most concentrated industrial zones is Ho Chi Minh City that has been turning green ideas into reality. Recently, Ho Chi Minh City has assigned  Management Board of industrial and export processing zones to build an outline of restructuring existing industrial parks into green industrial parks. Accordingly, the City has also approved a clean industrial park Le Minh Xuan 3 with a total area of 231.25 hectares in Le Minh Xuan Commune, Binh Chanh District. It is also considered a new step for development process in Vietnam.

The development of environmentally friendly eco-industrial in line with national conditions is a roadmap for Vietnam. Enhancing the technical capacity of technology transfer and application of clean technologies and low carbon emissions, safe and effective production methods for the state agencies for IZ and IZ enterprises are important issues in Vietnam for sustainable development.

Source: monre.gov.vn