[GEF2023] Carbon Net Zero Buildings in Vietnam: Overview and recommendations

The Carbon Net Zero Buildings in Vietnam Panel was a crucial session held during the Green Economy Forum 2023 (GEF2023), hosted by EuroCham on November 2nd.??

Improving the construction sector is a vital requirement for Vietnam to achieve its ambitious goal of net zero-carbon emissions.??

We were honored to have high-ranking government officials and leading industry experts share their insightful thoughts and proposals for creating more sustainable cities and buildings in Vietnam.?

• Moderator: Mr. Sergio Silva, EuroCham GGSC Vice Chairman, Founding and Managing, Partner Saraiva + Associados??
• Mr. Nguyen Cong Thinh, Deputy Director General, Department of Science, Technology and Environment Ministry of Construction??
• Ms. Phan Thu Hang, Chairwoman, Vietnam Green Building Council??
• Ms. Trinh Lam, Vice President of Innovation and Business Development, NS BlueScope Vietnam??
• Mr. Yannick Millet, Freelance, Green Building Sector Specialist??
• Mr. William Badger, Director of Community Outreach, Concordia Hanoi??
• Mr. Michel Cassagnes, Regional Managing Director, Archetype Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam??
• Mr. Adam Corrall, General Director, Carbon Credit Trading Platform ASEAN JSC CT Group??

Vietnam's Ministry of Construction (MoC) has estimated that the country's demand for housing will increase by 70 million square meters annually, which could pose a significant challenge to the MoC's climate action plan to reduce at least 74.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in the construction industry by 2030.??

However, the government has taken a positive step towards promoting energy efficiency in buildings, through the publication of the Vietnam Energy Efficiency Building Code (VEEBC) and the National Program that aims to certify 80 energy-efficient buildings by 2025 and 150 by 2030 in Decision No. 280/QD-TTg. Despite this, Vietnam has only seen a modest increase of 200 to 300 green building projects from 2021 to 2023, with just 3% of them being public or government-owned buildings. None of these buildings have met net-zero emissions criteria yet.?

Eurocham GGSC and the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) are collaborating with MoC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for carbon net zero buildings in Vietnam. To assist Vietnam's efforts in the construction industry, the GEF panel speakers have made some crucial recommendations, which are outlined below:?

1. There is an urgent need to improve the current registration and listing procedures for green buildings in Vietnam. Additionally, tax incentives should be provided to encourage developers to implement sustainable designs.?
2. The Vietnamese government should release comprehensive data on the country's construction industry, specifically energy intensity for building materials and existing buildings. This data should be available for organizations and the private sector to monitor and develop a strategy to support or invest in net zero carbon buildings in Vietnam. Proper dissemination of this information can help accelerate the shift towards more sustainable construction practices in the country.?
3. Minimizing both operational and embodied carbon emissions throughout the building cycle is crucial in Vietnam.???
4. The private sector must incorporate new energy design techniques to become mainstream.?

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