The U.S. hopes to partner with Vietnam in fostering environmentally sustainable development, especially in respect of solutions to air pollution, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink said Wednesday.

Addressing a panel discussion on air quality at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Ambassador Kritenbrink highlighted the negative impacts of air pollution on global development and shared his country’s experience in regenerating air quality and solving problems related to air pollution.

In the 1970s, the U.S. also faced an environmental crisis related to air pollution and air quality, Ambassador Kritenbrink said.

It was a “painful experience” that his country had to go through to achieve economic growth, he added.

Solutions were sought and measures were put in place for more sustainable development, which eventually helped boost the U.S. economy by three times while reducing air pollution by 75 percent by the end of the period, the ambassador stressed.

As a partner of Vietnam, the U.S. is willing to provide technical support and recommendations for the Vietnamese people and government to make informed decisions in the future in this regard, Ambassador Kritenbrink said.

The U.S. has also installed air quality monitoring devices inside its embassy in Hanoi to keep track of local air quality parameters 24/7.

Data recorded by the devices is made available on the official website of the embassy for public access, he said.

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