Strengthening climate leadership at Vietnam Green Building Week (VGBW) 2022

Strengthening climate leadership at Vietnam Green Building Week (VGBW) 2022

19 OCTOBER 2022 – Vietnam’s commitments to reach net zero by 2050 at COP26 include transitioning from fossil fuel to clean energy sources; reducing greenhouse gas emissions and methane in agriculture and waste management; transitioning to usage of electric vehicles (EVs); and increasing research and development (R&D) for construction materials and sustainable urban development.

As part of the effort to reach these targets, key figures in Vietnam’s built environment industry convened at VGBW 2022, titled Promoting Green Building Towards Realizing Vietnam’s Commitments at COP26, held on October 13–14 at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Construction (MoC), co-hosted by the Ministry of Resources and Environment and IEC Consulting, and coordinated with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Site visits to Green buildings were held on the first day, where conference delegates could visit the Diamond Lotus Riverside housing project and Etown office building. This was followed by a gala ceremony to award groups/organizations who have made notable contributions to Green building in the country.

More than 40 national and international speakers took part in the conference on the next day, with three concurrent sessions focusing on different topics. Session 1 on health, well-being and indoor air quality was hosted by the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC). It invited consultants and developers/building owners to discuss their experiences in orienting investment towards Green buildings to improve quality of life while lowering the energy expended in construction and operation.  

Session 2 focused on current and future trends for Green building materials, hosted by the Institute of Building Materials of MoC. Some of the specific research presented were about improving unburnt brick production technology; adoption of Green concrete and energy-saving insulated glass; and solutions to control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Active systems to save energy took the spotlight for Session 3, which was hosted by the Department of Science Technology and Environment of MoC. The speakers discussed practical solutions related to utilising resources in construction and operation, including smart building systems and water-saving strategies.

The event was closed by a plenary session with keynote speeches from ministries, local Green building leaders and international organisations. As a way to strengthen climate leadership, they affirmed the solutions and action plans to fulfil COP26 commitments; achieve low-carbon economic growth in Vietnam; and discussed Green development in Vietnam from the perspective of consulting, assessment, and certification.


Read more Vietnam stories below:

City Profile: Hoi An

Snapshot: Bamboo & brick in Vietnam

Renewables should be focus of Vietnam’s Draft PDP8

BCI Equinox Ho Chi Minh City focuses on Net Zero Carbon and Wellness