US embassy cable - 03HOCHIMINHCITY413

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/T/SV; IIP/G/EAP STEVE PRIETO AND MARY 
SPEER; EAP/PD FOR KENNETH FOSTER; EAP/BCLTV FOR JUDITH 
STROTZ AND CHARLES JESS; ES/S/STC; EB/TPP/BTA/ANA 
 
HANOI FOR PAO/APAO; ECON-CPIERANGELO 
BANGKOK FOR REGIONAL HUB ENVIRONMENT OFFICER TED OSIUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OIIP, ECON, SEVN 
SUBJECT: PAS/ECON HO CHI MINH CITY EVALUATION OF APRIL 
23, 2002 EARTH DAY ROUNDTABLE 
 
 
1.  Summary: At our second annual Earth Day roundtable, 
the ConGen\'s economic and public affairs sections 
joined efforts to invite two U.S. company country 
directors to discuss environmental protection, 
corporate responsibility and national development.  Two 
Vietnamese economics publications ran articles based on 
the discussion, in which 10 prominent environmental 
scholars, writers and business leaders participated. 
End summary. 
 
2.  At the roundtable, representatives from CDM and 
SELCO (Solar Energy Light Company) discussed how their 
companies are improving wastewater processing (CDM) and 
rural electrification (SELCO).  The CDM manager also 
discussed international efforts to develop Vietnam\'s 
infrastructure, and how pursuing environmentally sound 
policies now will have significant benefits in the long 
run.  The CDM representative noted that a recent World 
Bank grant has drawn the attention of policymakers and 
the educated public to the problems of open sewage and 
contamination of the waterways. 
 
3.  The director of SELCO, whose company was recognized 
in 2001 by Secretary Powell with the State Department\'s 
Award for Corporate Excellence, discussed his firm\'s 
efforts to electrify rural areas through solar power. 
He emphasized the importance of using renewable energy 
sources and skyrocketing energy demands in Vietnam. 
 
4.  The director of Saigon Hi-tech Park talked about 
the organization\'s recycling of natural resources and 
its energy-efficient power generating facility.  Other 
scholars and business people focused on raising public 
awareness, and on avoiding the problems of other 
developing countries by implementing an eco-friendly 
energy policy now, rather than later. 
 
5.  The Vietnam Economic Times (VET) and Agriculture 
(\"Nong Nghiep\") ran articles on the roundtable.  Both 
pieces covered the discussion themes, and VET had a 
sidebar interview with the director of CDM.  \"Nong 
Nghiep\'s\" article focused on SELCO\'s projects and the 
role of Vietnam\'s agricultural and rural development 
bank in providing financing for families in isolated 
areas who are installing SELCO\'s solar electric 
systems. 
 
YAMAUCHI.