VIETNAM’S MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION HAS PLEDGED TO REACH NET-ZERO CARBON EMISSIONS BY 2050 

On 15th of July 2022, Deputy Minister of Construction Le Quang Hung signed the Decision on the Climate Change Action Plan in the Construction Sector for 2022-2030 with a vision to 2050. This Action Plan is a very important sectoral pillar regarding Vietnam´s efforts to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The overall goal of this Action Plan is to transform the construction sector in Vietnam towards a sustainable and low-carbon one. 

Accordingly, the Action Plan includes the following specific targets: 

• Apply solutions to limit the carbon footprint in the construction sector to achieve an emission reduction of at least 74.3 million tons of CO2 equivalent.
• Increase awareness and capacity of the community and construction industry staff.
• Develop new initiatives and technologies to tackle climate change through national and international cooperation.
• By 2025, build criteria and procedures for recognizing green/low-carbon buildings, green/low-carbon urban areas. 
• By 2030, at least 25% of new urban areas shall implement new standards of construction to lower the volume of GHG emissions in the construction and operation of apartment buildings by at least 25% compared to 2020. Besides, 100% of new and renovated buildings shall follow the National Technical Regulations on Energy-Efficient Buildings. In terms of building materials products, 25% of building materials mainly produced domestically are expected to be accredited as green products. 
• By 2050, at least 50% of new urban areas and 10% of cities are expected to apply the criteria of green urban areas with low-carbon emissions. More than 50% of public buildings are expected to meet the green construction criteria; 100% of commercial buildings and apartment buildings consuming more than 1000 TOE or equivalent shall be recognized as low-carbon buildings.