VIBM: Report Meeting on the Project Developing Emission Factors for Building Materials Production Sectors
In March 2019, Viet Nam submitted its Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, clearly demonstrating its responsibility and efforts to contribute to the global response to climate change and environmental protection. According to the report, total greenhouse gas emissions from building materials production in 2014 were 35.5 million tonnes of CO2. The calculations were based on IPCC published default emission factors and are considered to have a relatively large margin of error compared with reality.
Emission factors are a fairly simple tool for estimating air pollutant emissions when sufficient information about emission sources is available. Determining emission factors is therefore important for air quality management, serving as a basis for estimating emissions and building an emission inventory system when funding or resources are insufficient. To date, developed countries and international organisations have researched and developed emission factors for major emitting industries and sectors.
Inventory activities and projects in Viet Nam in general, and for building materials production in particular, often have to use emission factors from the USA, WHO, EU, IPCC, etc., which were developed for industries with production levels many years ahead and conditions different from Viet Nam’s. As a result, the determination of greenhouse gas emissions is often inaccurate.
Research on methods and the development of greenhouse gas emission factors for several building materials production sectors will make a significant contribution to emission assessment and the response to climate change in Viet Nam. The main objective of the task is to develop emission factors for building materials production sectors (ceramic tiles, construction glass, sanitary ware) in Viet Nam and to provide guidance on their reference and practical use.
After the presentation by the project leader and the reviewers’ comments, the Council found that the report provides fairly complete data, research and applications related to the task, including: assessment of the current state of production and establishment of an input database for developing emission factors for building materials production; and development of emission factors and measures to improve emission factors for ceramic tile, sanitary ware and construction glass production.
The Council highly appreciated the efforts of the research team and unanimously approved the report, subject to revisions and finalisation according to the Council’s comments.
