Green Embassy: Actions for Environmental Protection

15 March 2011
Earth Hour

The Embassy of Sweden in Hanoi will, like the previous years, respect the Earth Hour by turning off all lights in the Embassy compound as well as Swedish staffs' homes.

Earth Day is the fourth Saturday in March. This year it is 26 March and the Earth Hour starts at 20.30. This concept was initiated by the World Wildlife Fund some years ago.

We are challenging other embassies in Hanoi as well as Swedish companies to do the same.

The work with the Green Embassy continues.

This winter and spring we are especially focusing on saving water. As we have covered the salt water pool, water has not evaporated. We water lawns and flower beds as early or as late as possible in the day. Water from all dehumidifiers is used for watering plants.

2 December 2010
Green autumn

In Hanoi large amounts of leaves fall off the trees this season; some on the new cover we have on top of our salt water pool. That means chemicals and pool maintenance is down to a minimum, now and for a couple of months, which will be good for the environment. The autumn leaves are spread around, in smaller pieces, becoming valuable compost.

Our challenge for the rest of this year is to try and have everybody in the Embassy compound area continuing to participate and reduce the foot print we make on this earth by saving energy and water, turning off lamps and machines, composting household waste, use transportation as wisely (eco-friendly) as possible etc. Also, we hope to find a method and a product for insect control that is more environmentally friendly than today and less harmful to all.

30 June 2010
Measures summer of 2010

The recycling of papers in the Embassy is now working well and from July all employees sent out from Sweden are composting household waste, both in the Embassy and in their homes.

We are exchanging old, leaking and energy-consuming airconditioners and white goods to new and more environmentally friendly ones.

This summer we are also selling an Embassy car and buying one that is both less energy-consuming and cheaper to run instead.

The saltwater pool will, shortly, have a cover, which will mean it will get less dirty and keep both its water and the water's temperature, when not in use. Today large quantities of water evaporate in the hot weather and it has to be cleaned often and a certain amount of chemicals has to be added due to all the dirty particles in the Hanoi air which end up inside the pool.

27 March 2010
Earth Hour

The Embassy participated in the Earth Hour, with so many others on March 27.

Also, we are trying to find a better way to recycle paper in the Embassy. We do send it to a recycling company today, but would prefer to make paper pulp out of all our recycled paper, for maximum environmental gain. Our efforts with saving electricity, water and waste are continuing and soon also involve a housing complex outside of the Embassy compound.

November 2009
Green Embassy - One year's results

Since we started to compost household waste in the Embassy and within the compound we have managed to halve our amount of garbage. Vietnam is a perfect country for composting. Here we get good compost soil much faster than in Europe for example, due to the heat and the humidity.

During the mayor event, Green Solutions, that the Embassy organized in Ho Chi Minh City in October  we seized the opportunity to inform about our work with the Green Embassy.

In our work for a Green Embassy the turn has come to our vehicles. Our drivers have had training in "eco driving" as well as eco-friendly ways to wash and handle the cars. We have fewer vehicles than before and we co-ordinate transports as much as we can.

The Vietnamese TV channel O2 has visited the Embassy and showed coverage of our work with a Green Embassy in a program which was broadcasted some weeks ago.

21 August 2009
Green Embassy saves one third of energy consumption

Simple but practical measures have helped the Embassy achieve some of its goals of by saving electricity, some water and become almost self–sufficient with bio-fertilizers for the garden soil.

The compost-making routine works very well and we have managed to get good quality soil for our flowerbeds which can be seen in the thriving of plants.

The replacement of old machines and equipment – like air-conditioners and fridges - for more energy-efficient ones; the change of routines for turning off equipment and lights, using low-energy bulbs etc. have lowered the energy consumption at our premises by around 30% compared to that of June 2008.

The recycling mechanism of the salty water in our swimming-pool, using less chemicals is well functioned, thus improving the working environment for maintenance and reducing maintenance costs.

From now until the end of 2009, the Embassy will intensify its efforts by offering training to its drivers to drive as energy-efficiently as possible, coordinate transport, go through the fleet of cars and use better and more eco-friendly detergents in the office. We also aim at trying to calculate the savings in amount of carbon saved through the measures.

The Embassy strongly believes that it can make a difference by starting to set a good example of being Green at the individual level and small-scale. The Embassy is determined to inspire others and join hands with others to make the Earth a better place to live on for the younger generations.

4 June 2009
The Embassy of Sweden strives to become a “Green Embassy”

The Government of Sweden has a long tradition of working with environmental protection with the aim to act as a positive force and model for sustainable development, and secure that Sweden continues to be a leading country within this field. The Government has previously, as one measure, introduced green procurement as a norm for its procurement. During 2009, and onwards, the Swedish Government has introduced “Green Goals” to be achieved within its operation and enterprises.

In order to fulfil this goal the Embassy of Sweden in Hanoi has introduced a programme in 2009 to become  a “Green Embassy”. Previously, heating hot water for the compound by solar heaters has been introduced. This entails that a plan for lessening the Global footprint of the Embassy is developed; that achievable goals are developed within a certain timeframe, results reported at regular intervals, and that the plan will be updated continuously.

The Embassy of Sweden has now introduced composting of household waste within its compound in Hanoi where the soil produced will enrich and beautify the garden. Given the good climate for composting in Hanoi, the Embassy aims at having soil ready for use within 12 weeks. This initiative will lower the waste produced by the Embassy compound with approximately one half, and significantly reduce the smell pollution from its waste.

Among the issues the Embassy has to strive for is lower emissions from its vehicles.

The Embassy also aims at reducing the use of water and electricity by more stringent instructions; by the consistent use of low-energy bulbs, turning off stand-by screens, printers, copying machines, lights when not in the room, etc. Paper, lead batteries, glass, plastic, etc. are collected for recycling.

The water at the pool within the Embassy compound has been changed from chlorine to salt water with the aim of lessening the environmental burden from chemicals and cut costs.

All staff have been sensitised and trained in order to be able to carry out some of the measures introduced at the Embassy in their private homes.