Hanoi, 17th May 2023 — GGGI and the Department of Climate Change, in collaboration with UNEP, the Center for Low Carbon Development (VN-LOCAD) and the Center for Climate Change Research (CCRC), recently held a Workshop on Solutions for Sustainable Urban Cooling Tackling Extreme Heat in Viet Nam’s Cities on May 17, 2023 in Hanoi.

The workshop is part of the program “Sustainable Urban Cooling in Viet Nam” implemented by Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with support from the Clean Cooling Collaborative to promote climate-friendly cooling solutions against extreme heat in cities of Viet Nam. 

Over 80 representatives of the Department of Climate Change, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, relevant ministries, development organizations, businesses, national and international experts attended the workshop. The participants shared information about the cooperation program and discussed international experiences and policies for implementing sustainable cooling solutions to better adapt to climate change adaptation and  in urban areas, as well as financial mobilization mechanisms for sustainable cooling in urban areas. 

Vietnam’s rapid urbanization along with the growth of the real estate industry is leading up to a sharp increase in cooling demand along with its entailed emissions. Urban heat is a notable public health issue — especially in big cities in Vietnam which will become more serious with increasing temperatures due to climate change. There is a need for specific solutions, strong action from the city government in monitoring and reducing heat island effects to protect vulnerable people from extreme heat as well as promoting solutions to sustainable cooling. 

Recognizing the importance of sustainable cooling, in recent years, Viet Nam has incorporated requirements for sustainable cooling into the tasks and solutions of the National Strategy on Climate Change until 2050 and Viet Nam’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) (2022).

At the conference, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Quang, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment emphasized: “The need for sustainable cooling solutions in urban areas becomes urgent globally and in Vietnam. Efficient and sustainable cooling in cities can help countries reduce poverty, reduce food loss, improve health, manage energy needs and respond to climate change.” 

Dr. Jason Lee, GGGI Asia Regional Deputy Director and Viet Nam Country Representative at the event

Dr. Jason Lee, GGGI Asia Regional Deputy Director and Viet Nam Country Representative emphasized the role of sustainable cooling in the fulfillment of Vietnam’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and reaffirmed GGGI’s commitment to supporting Vietnam in its pursuit of green growth, climate resilience, and specifically, in advancing its NDCs and the urban cooling sector. 

The workshop is an opportunity for relevant ministries, sectors, agencies, organizations, businesses, Vietnamese and international experts to discuss recommendations for effective urban cooling solutions in line with Viet Nam’s context, as well as accelerating the implementation of NDC in climate change adaptation in the central coastal region, and attracting investors to support solutions for sustainable cooling and adaptation against extreme heat in urban areas in Vietnam.

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The program “Sustainable Urban Cooling in Viet Nam” is implemented by Department of Climate Change – Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, with financial support from the Clean Cooling Collaborative to support three pilot cities, Can Tho, Tam Ky and Dong Hoi in preparing Urban Cooling Action Plans (UCAPs) and performing a rapid assessment of investment in sustainable cooling.

Components of the program include: (i) Evaluate and propose solutions on sustainable urban cooling to integrate into local policy framework (preparing Urban Cooling Action Plans in Can Tho city and Tam Ky city – Quang Nam province and performing a rapid assessment of investment in sustainable cooling for Dong Hoi city – Quang Binh province); (ii) Develop pre-feasibility and propose to integrate sustainable cooling activities in urban areas into the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund (VEPF) to mobilize financial resources from domestic and international investors to overcome financial barriers for business activities on sustainable urban cooling in Viet Nam cities and (iii) Integrate sustainable cooling into national policies, including National Strategy on Climate Change and NDCs./.