In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh emphasised that green buildings and green transportation is an inevitable trend in Vietnam's development process, contributing significantly to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving resources, protecting the environment, while promoting technological innovation, improving labor productivity, quality of life and economic competitiveness.
In recent years, the Party and the State have issued many guidelines and policies to promote green growth and sustainable development. Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW dated June 3, 2013 of the Party Central Committee (11th tenure) proposed the requirement of "piloting the development of green economic models, green industry, green urban areas, and green rural areas". The 13th National Party Congress continued to identify the task of "building a green economy, a circular economy, and an environmentally friendly economy" in the country's development orientation for the 2021-2030 period.
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Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh spoke at the seminar.
In particular, Resolution No. 06-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2022 of the Politburo on the planning, construction, management, and sustainable development of Vietnam’s urban areas to 2030, with a vision to 2045, clearly emphasized the need to encourage the use of green materials, and the development of green infrastructure and green buildings in urban areas.
To implement the directives of the Central Committee, the National Assembly has enacted several important laws, such as the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy, the Law on Construction, the Law on Roads, the Vietnam Maritime Code, the Law on Railways, and the Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam, among others. Among these, the principles of green building development and green transport have been integrated into various legal provisions.
According to Deputy Minister Nguyễn Văn Sinh, under the direction of the Government, the Ministry of Construction has implemented a number of specific activities to promote green buildings and green transport. A highlight of these efforts is the annual Green Building Week, organized since 2020, which aims to spread green building models through smart design, the use of energy-efficient materials, and advanced technologies.
The Ministry has also advised the Prime Minister to issue Decision No. 876/QĐ-TTg dated July 22, 2022, approving the “Action Program on Green Energy Transition, Carbon and Methane Emission Reduction in the Transport Sector; promulgated Decision No. 385/QĐ-BXD dated May 12, 2022, on the “Action Plan of the Construction Sector for Climate Change Response for the 2022–2030 Period, with a Vision to 2050; implemented the National Technical Regulation QCVN 09:2017/BXD on energy-efficient buildings.
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Director of the Institute of Construction Science and Technology Nguyen Hong Hai spoke at the seminar.
“Thanks to efforts promoting green buildings and green transport, by the end of Q3 the country already had over 600 certified green building projects with a total floor area of nearly 17 million square metres. In the transport sector, the number of green vehicles has also surged, with 183,240 electric cars and 974 electric buses in operation,” Sinh added.
He noted that Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are pioneers with thousands of green transport vehicles, while cities such as Danang, Haiphong, Thanh Hoa, and Khanh Hoa are also seeing rapid growth among green vehicle fleets, contributing positively to sustainable development goals and carbon neutrality.
At the seminar, the participants exchanged and discussed the current situation and proposed solutions to improve mechanisms and policies in order to further harness the potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction, promote the use of environmentally friendly materials, expand the application of energy-saving technologies, and replicate green-standard building models.
According to the delegates attending the seminar, the green transition is no longer a choice but has become an inevitable requirement for all nations, including Vietnam. Valuable experiences from developed countries, as well as Vietnam’s own practical implementation, have affirmed that green buildings and green transport played a crucial role in realizing Vietnam’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and advancing deep international integration in the development of a green economy.
Experts and business representatives also shared about the practical barriers in developing green buildings: policy mechanisms, difficulties in accessing green capital, pressure on initial investment costs for green conversion, and proposed that the State should consider regulations that buildings using public investment capital should be built in the direction of green buildings to lead the market development.
Many experts recommend that the State should promote the development of green transport infrastructure such as urban railways, non-motorized transport, and electric vehicle charging stations; renewable energy vehicles; link green transport infrastructure planning with sustainable urban development planning; accelerate the completion of mechanisms and policies to further promote the potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promote the use of environmentally friendly materials, expand the application of energy-saving technologies and replicate green building models, contributing to achieving the goal of reducing net emissions to "0" by 2050.
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Seminar scene
To conclude the seminar, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh acknowledged and highly appreciated the practical comments and contributions of delegates, experts, and businesses. He affirmed that the Ministry of Construction would continue to closely coordinate with ministries, branches, localities, the business community, and international organizations to perfect mechanisms and policies, promote cooperation, and create a favorable legal corridor for the development of green buildings and green transport.
“With the joint efforts of the whole society, the companionship of management agencies, scientists and the business community, Vietnam will soon form a synchronous green construction and transportation ecosystem, contributing to realizing the goal of green growth, sustainable development and improving people's quality of life,” Sinh said.