Green building has been developing in Vietnam for about 15 years. According to Decree No. 15/2021/ND-CP of the Government, green building means a construction work designed, built and operated in conformity with criteria or standards on efficient utilisation of energy and resource saving; ensuring comfort and quality of the living environment inside and protecting the environment outside buildings.

There are four popular green building assessment and certification systems in Vietnam including Lotus of the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC); Edge of the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group (IFC-WB), and LEED of the US Green Building Council and Greenmark of Singapore, Thinh said.

According to statistics reported by experts from the European Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (EuroCham) at the Green Economy Forum 2023, construction projects in Vietnam account for 39% of energy consumption, 12% of water consumption, and about 38% of carbon emissions.

Specifically, in the planning and design phase, the application of green standards and solutions will create favourable conditions for the next steps of the project such as construction and operation, Thinh said.

If materials that meet green building standards are selected and used during the construction process, it will promote production development, increase demand, and create motivation to develop green production and green consumption, he added.

In operating green buildings, managers and users also have awareness and skills to use the equipment and utilities and be aware of the responsibility to protect the environment, reduce waste, and change behaviour to live a greener style.

Green buildings have contributed to reducing emissions, increasing the local environmental protection index and the score in evaluating and classifying urban areas./.