Vietnam is the first market in Asia to introduce EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), which enables buildings to reduce energy and water consumption by 20 per cent and lower greenhouse-gas emissions.
SGS Vietnam, which is partnering with the IFC to offer EDGE certification, said that over the next six years 20 per cent of new construction projects, equivalent to 70,000 housing units, would be awarded EDGE certificates.
This level of penetration will help reduce emissions by 19,000 tonnes a year and energy use by 43,500 megawatt-hours, saving US$8 million (Bt270 million) by 2021, claims SGS, a multinational inspection and certification company based in Switzerland.
The company said Vietnam's greenhouse-gas emissions from buildings were expected to top 2.8 million tonnes in 2030, up from 1.1 million tonnes in 2010.
Three years ago 18 per cent of Vietnam's electricity was generated from coal, and by 2020 this will rise to 48 per cent. The amount of clean water in the country is expected to fall to 2.83 million litres in 2025 from 4 million litres in 2000.
"We encourage investors, developers and practitioners to build more environmentally friendly buildings that reduce energy consumption and mitigate climate change," said Le Hoa Binh, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City's department of construction. "EDGE is an innovative, voluntary building-certification system that will help us improve the environment for our people."
Steven Du, managing director at SGS Vietnam, said: "We are seeing strong interest from investors and developers in fulfilling the increasing demand for eco-friendly and resource-efficient buildings in Vietnam."
The company said more than 50 per cent of respondents to a survey it did are likely to seek green building certification.
Vietnam has five buildings with EDGE certification. Following in the footsteps of the Bridgeview Apartments in Ho Chi Minh City's District 7 built by Nam Long Investment Corp and the FPT Complex Da Nang built by FPT City Da Nang JSC, three others got the certificate: Tien Phat Limited Company's Ascent Apartment and Novaland Group's Orchard Garden in HCM City, and the National Housing Organisation's First Home Premium in Binh Duong province.
Vietnam is a focus of the IFC's EDGE programme along with a few other priority countries such as Costa Rica, India, Indonesia and South Africa.
Source: The Nation | 12 June 2015
