Report on a Conference on International Trade and the Environment 9-10 April 1999, Hanoi

The report details a 1999 conference in Hanoi focused on Viet Nam's integration into the global economy via ASEAN, APEC, and the WTO. It identifies risks such as 'scale effects' leading to increased toxic waste and the potential import of 'cheap, inefficient technology'. The document argues for better policy coordination between ministries, the adoption of ISO 14000 environmental management standards to improve market access, and targeted support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) facing capital and skill shortages.

• Viet Nam faces significant risks from 'scale effects' where increased economic activity from trade leads to environmental degradation; the World Bank estimates toxic wastes will increase by a factor of 3.8 between 2000 and 2010.
• Trade liberalization may lead to 'technology effects' where industries, facing competition, might import 'cheap, inefficient technology' to cut costs, necessitating more stringent inspections and environmental impact assessments.
• Policy coordination in Viet Nam is hindered by a hierarchy where finance is a 'first class ministry', trade is 'second class', and environment is 'third class', making coherence difficult.
• Adopting the ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards could provide Vietnamese businesses a competitive advantage and better market access, though high certification costs and a lack of experts are significant barriers.
• Viet Nam's current import-export policies lack specific provisions for environmental protection and fail to meet criteria set by international agreements such as the Basel Convention and the UN Consolidated List.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (1999). Report on a Conference on International Trade and the Environment 9-10 April 1999, Hanoi. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/viet_wshoprprt.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Report on a Conference on International Trade and the Environment 9-10 April 1999, Hanoi. 1999. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/viet_wshoprprt.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Report on a Conference on International Trade and the Environment 9-10 April 1999, Hanoi |date=1999 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/viet_wshoprprt.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment1999report, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Report on a Conference on International Trade and the Environment 9-10 April 1999, Hanoi}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {1999}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/viet_wshoprprt.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }