On December 6th, 2025, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Construction held a meeting of the Advisory Council for the evaluation and acceptance of the results of the scientific and technological task titled “Research and proposal of zero-carbon building models for several types of constructions,” implemented by the Center for Urban and Industrial Environment. The meeting was chaired by Nguyen Huu Tien, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Building Materials, who serves as Chairman of the Council.
Presenting to the Council, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, Head of the research task, stated that the construction sector is currently one of the major energy-consuming fields and accounts for a significant proportion of total greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of Vietnam’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, researching and proposing zero-carbon building models is particularly important. It not only meets the requirements of sustainable development but also provides a scientific basis for formulating policies, standards, and technical guidelines for the construction sector in the coming period.
The task was carried out on the basis of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, the Government’s Decree No. 06/2022/NĐ-CP on regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the ozone layer, as well as the orientations and action plans of the construction sector for responding to climate change. These serve as important legal foundations for concretizing Vietnam’s international commitments while setting requirements for the construction sector to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to gradually develop low-emission and carbon-neutral building models.
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Working scene.
The objective of the task is to propose zero-carbon building models suitable for Vietnam’s conditions by synthesizing international experience, analyzing emission-reduction solutions throughout a building’s life cycle, and developing a framework of criteria for identifying carbon-neutral buildings. The research scope focuses on the entire life cycle of a building from the pre-operation phase to the operational phase in accordance with international practices for assessing greenhouse gas emissions in construction.
During the implementation process, the research team compiled and analyzed the experiences of many developed countries, identifying common trends in the development of carbon-neutral buildings. These trends include reducing emissions from construction materials, improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy, and offsetting remaining emissions. Based on this foundation, the task focused on two typical building types office headquarters and schools using the climatic conditions of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the basis for simulation and evaluation.
The calculation models were developed using 2025 as the baseline, 2035 as the medium-term milestone, and 2050 as the long-term target. The research team combined life-cycle analysis, energy simulation, and greenhouse gas emission assessment using appropriate specialized tools. The results indicate that when technical solutions are applied synchronously, building emissions can be significantly reduced at each stage; by 2050, the studied models are capable of achieving carbon neutrality through a combination of reducing emissions at the source and offsetting the remaining emissions.
One of the key outcomes of the task is the development of a framework of criteria for identifying carbon-neutral buildings in Vietnam. This framework includes groups of criteria related to design, materials, energy use, operational management, and carbon offsetting. It is built on international experience while being adjusted to suit Vietnam’s economic conditions, technical capabilities, and management capacity, thereby laying the groundwork for future development of technical guidelines or standards.
In addition, the task provides a clear analysis of the potential for applying zero-carbon building models in Vietnam, highlighting differences among building types and climatic regions, and proposing key groups of solutions to reduce emissions throughout the entire life cycle of a building.
Based on the research findings, the team recommends expanding the scope of study to additional building types; developing and updating a national emissions database for the construction sector; and gradually implementing pilot projects to refine the scientific basis for developing mechanisms, policies, and technical standards related to carbon-neutral buildings.
At the meeting, the Council’s experts highly appreciated the research team’s seriousness, responsibility, and systematic approach during the implementation of the task.
According to the Council’s assessment, the summary report was meticulously prepared, closely aligned with the approved objectives and tasks, fully met all contractual deliverables, and holds valuable reference significance for state management and the orientation of sustainable construction development.
The Council requested that the research team continue reviewing and refining the report by standardizing terminology, clarifying the database, strengthening the analysis of practical applicability, and supplementing content that supports policy development.
Concluding the meeting, Council Chairman Nguyen Heu Tien acknowledged and highly appreciated the task’s outcomes, stressing that this is an important research foundation that helps shape the construction sector’s approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing sustainable buildings, in alignment with Vietnam’s international commitments.
The Council Chairman asked the research team to fully incorporate the Council’s feedback, promptly finalize the task’s summary report, and complete the required procedures in accordance with regulations.
The Council unanimously voted to accept the results of the scientific and technological task, rating it as “Good.”