(VOVworld) - Calculating the volume of carbon dioxide emitted by enterprises, urging people to participate in environmental protection activities, planting trees at primary schools in Hanoi and organizing education courses at those schools to raise pupils’ awareness of environmental issues, are the main activities of a project carried out in Vietnam since last September by the Go Green International Organization, an international environmental protection group.
Nguyen Hong Nhung, who is in charge of communications for the project, explained to us carbon foot prints and how they are calculated: ""Our project has 2 main objectives: to increase enterprises’ social and environmental responsibility and to promote environmental protection to primary pupils. By measuring the volume of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels emitted by an enterprise into the atmosphere – the enterprise’s “carbon footprint”, we encourage the enterprise to reduce activities which cause a negative impact on the environment. The measured volume of CO2 emission is converted, using an international standard formula, into money which is then used to buy trees to plant in primary schools and to finance courses to teach primary pupils about climate change".
In contrast to other environmental projects, the Carbon Offsetting project reduces CO2 by spotlighting the carbon footprint of companies interested in environmental issues.
VSL, a Vietnamese Industrial and Civil Construction company was the first in Vietnam to have its carbon footprint calculated. It now provides technical support to the project. Dinh Thi Phuong Linh is the Head of the project: "Calculating the carbon footprint of an enterprise is really not very complicated. This concept may be new in Vietnam but is rather popular in the world. We measure the volume of CO2 emitted by the employees of a company when they travel from their houses to the office using different modes of transportation. We also measure the electricity they consume, when they send an email, for example. Measuring the carbon foot print was first done at a VSL office in Ho Chi Minh city. In 2010, this office emitted a volume of CO2 equivalent to 30 million VND".
The project has gotten primary teachers and pupils involved and has created more green space at their schools using money converted from the volume of CO2 measured. This year, the project has planted trees at 2 primary schools in Quoc Oai district, Hanoi and organized an education series to raise pupils’ social awareness toward a sustainable green society. Phuong Linh again: "We have planted 50 trees at each school. The teachers and pupils helped us. While planting trees, we explain to the pupils the reason why we have to plant trees and how to protect them. Each month, we also teach a class on the impacts of climate change and environmental protection in general".
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The project aims to measure the carbon footprint of another 5 enterprises to raise funds for planting trees at more schools in Quoc Oai district this year.
Kim Chi