Participants from government agencies, development partners, NGOs, and academia actively engage in group discussions during the Inception Workshop

VIENTIANE, LAO PDR, MAY 9, 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in collaboration with the Department of Energy Efficiency and Promotion (DEEP) of the Ministry of Energy and Mine (MEM) with support from the Australian Embassy to Lao PDR, hosted an inception workshop in Vientiane Capital to enhance the energy sector’s contribution to Lao PDR’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The meeting marked an official launch of the energy sector’s initiative to update Lao PDR’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) for the period of 2021 to 2025 which will be consolidated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) for submission to the UNFCCC before the upcoming 30^th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP30) to be held in Brazil in November 2025.  This project will support MEM and MONRE to take stock of the progress made over the last five years in the energy sector to meet their NDC 2.0 climate ambitions and align with broader national strategies, including the Green Growth Strategy, 9^th National Socio-Economic Development Plans, and Energy Strategy from 2025-2030.

co-chairs from left to right: ⁠Ms. Catia Rizio, Second Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian Embassy, Mr. Khammanh SOPRASEURTH, Deputy Director General, Department of Energy Efficiency and Promotion, Ms. Dagmar Zwebe, GGGI Country Representative.

Mr. Khammanh Sopraseurth, Deputy Director General of the Department of Energy Efficiency and Promotion, MEM noted in his opening remarks that Lao PDR experiences multiple challenges including high energy demand during the dry season, reliance on imported fossil fuels, energy security and the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions while supporting economic growth. To tackle these issues, he emphasized that the government has focused on diversifying renewable energy supply, improving energy efficiency, and decarbonizing energy use.

Meanwhile, Ms. Dagmar Zwebe, GGGI Country Representative to Lao PDR, emphasized the importance of strong partnerships in advancing climate action: “GGGI is proud to support the Government of Lao PDR, especially MEM and MONRE in enhancing the energy sector’s contribution to NDC 3.0. With the energy sector playing a key role in emissions reduction such as through participating in the carbon market and supporting socio-economic development, this project will help the government in enhancing the climate ambitions with national development goals.”

Ms. Khamlar Phonsavat, GGGI senior officer, presenting an overview of the NDC 3.0 Energy Sector Project during the inception workshop.

This initiative will deliver three key outputs, including a comprehensive Synthesis Report analyzing gaps and lessons learned from previous NDC preparations, an updated Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory for the energy sector projecting to 2035, and the updated NDC 3.0 for the energy sector.

The workshop brought together 48 participants, including 23 women, representing key stakeholders from relevant government ministries, mass organizations, NGOs, academia and development partners to discuss the roadmap for NDC 3.0 preparation for the energy sector, reviewed the latest guidelines, and provided input on proposed methodologies. This collaborative approach ensures that the updated NDC is inclusive and reflects a wide range of perspectives and expertise from stakeholders.

In the coming months, GGGI and its partners will conduct extensive research, stakeholder consultations, and technical assessments to finalize the updated NDC 3.0 for the energy sector by September 2025 for consolidation into Lao PDR’s NDC 3.0 by October 2025.

……………………………….

GGGI Lao PDR
Namchaythip Souvannavong, Communications & Knowledge Sharing Unit Officer
+856 20 23 692 645
namchaythip.souvannavong@gggi.org

GGGI Seoul HQ

Romain Brillie  

Director, Department of Strategy and Communications 
+82 10 9530 0170 | brillie.romain@gggi.org     

Na Yoon Kang

Communication and Knowledge Sharing Associate
+82 10 9530 0338 | nayoon.kang@gggi.org