Incentives sought for green buildings in Vietnam

European energy efficiency consultants are urging Vietnam to push sustainability programs, including green buildings.

Yannick Millet, executive director of the Vietnam Green Building Council, said the government should encourage green private developments through the enhancement and implementation of green building incentive policies

He noted that government has a major role to play in promoting sustainable construction, including enforcing stricter building codes and standards with regards to energy, waste and material usage.

Other environmentalists are calling for better legal frameworks that will encourage and oblige project consultants, developers and owners to embrace sustainable technologies and materials.

In September, the government approved the Vietnam Green Growth Strategy, targeting an 8% to 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to levels recorded in 2010.

Michael Waibel, a senior researcher at the University of Hamburg in Germany who spoke at a green conference in Vietnam this week, said housing offers huge potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to the country's huge construction boom and emerging urban middle class.

Waibel, who works in Vietnam as part of a German-funded research programme on sustainable development of megacities, said residential homes account for 54% of Vietnam’s energy consumption compared to 33% in Southeast Asia, citing statistics from the International Energy Agency. Waibel urged leaders to promote climate-adapted and energy-efficient buildings.

"Clearly it would be a lost opportunity if policymakers did not try to foster energy efficiency related to Vietnam's building and housing sector," he said.