History

Vice President of Hanoi University of Technology (left) handed the Certificate of Business Registration to Director of Vietnam Cleaner Production Center (right)

On April 1998, Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre (VNCPC) was established within the framework of project VIE/96/063 signed between Ministry of Education and Training and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) under the financial support of Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland. The Center is located at the Center for Environmental Science & Technology, which now is the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (INEST), Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

VNCPC plays a focal role in Vietnam within the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) – United Nation Environmental Program (UNEP), for disseminating the “Cleaner Production” (CP) concept and promoting its adoption into the industry of Vietnam.

The project has completed the task of disseminating Cleaner Production (CP) concept widely and promoting the applicably initiative approaching of Pollution Prevention to industrial enterprises in Vietnam. The Center has performed successfully in-plant CP demonstration in over 300 entrepreneurs, making reputation for itself among customers as well as the relevant ministries, the international donors and sponsors of environmental projects.

The initial results of the projects implemented by VNCPC affirmed that Cleaner Production definitely succeeds in application to the industry of Vietnam, consequently, has brought both economic and environmental benefits. CP is also recognized as an effective tool to support enterprises in achievement of sustainable development goals. Within set-up and development process, VNCPC has promoted professional ability, planning and management skills by implementing projects towards:

–  “Cleaner Production”, funded by SECO and implemented cooperation with UNIDO;

–  “Energy saving and efficiency”, funded by UNEP;

–  “Cleaner Production for Better Products” funded by the European Commission

Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre has been training and developing a network of experts and specialists who continue to promote the application and development of CP services in the combination with other services in environmental protection. Supporting activities in policy research, widespread information have facilitated extensively relationships and cooperation with partners, agencies and organizations regionally and internationally towards sustainability development in Vietnam. Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre is managed by ISO 9001 and 14001 by SGS, Switzerland from 2002 onwards.

The tripartite meeting on May 5th, 2010 of the project ” Promoting cleaner production in Vietnam through Vietnam Cleaner Production Center”, code US/VIE/04/064, was presided by Ministry of Education and Training, with representatives of Departments of Education and Training, Finance, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, Foreign Affairs, Natural Resources and Environment; Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology; representatives of UNIDO and SECO, the Swiss Embassy in Hanoi,  approved the accomplishment of project. The Vice President of Hanoi University of Science and Technology handed the “Certificate of Business Registration” to Vietnam Cleaner Production Center (VNCPC Vietnam). VNCPC is now operating under autonomy and self-responsibility mechanisms of “Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre Company Limited Company”. The company is a corporate member of the BK Holdings of the Hanoi University of Technology.