The Ministry of Construction (MoC) and the Investment Climate Advisory
Programme of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on May 24
signed a cooperation agreement on green and energy efficient building
developments in Vietnam, aiming to reduce energy costs and greenhouse
gas emissions.
Accordingly, the IFC’s programme will help the
ministry enhance capacity to implement the Building Energy Efficiency
Code, which came into effect in 2005 but faced some challenges due to a
lack of guidance and enforcement.
In addition, it will help
the MoC compile the brochure and guidance documents to implement the
code as well as develop the country’s Green Building Strategies and
Action Plan.
The programme is scheduled to run from 2013-2017
and is expected to help new buildings reduce their energy consumption by
15 percent.
During the signing ceremony, Wendy Werner, the
IFC’s East Asia-Pacific Investment Climate Manager said the construction
industry accounts for 36 percent of the nation’s total energy
consumption, the highest level among all sectors in Vietnam.
Improving energy efficiency will reduce operating costs for building
owners and the country’s carbon gas emissions.
Meanwhile, the
Deputy Minister of Construction, Phan Thi My Linh, said that the
agreement will promote MoC-IFC energy efficiency cooperation in the
construction sector, adding that developing green buildings supports
Vietnam’s National Goal Programme on climate change, energy saving and
green growth.-VNA