I had the opportunity to visit a children’s health center located about 300 km away from Astana, on the shores of a beautiful lake. The center, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, has introduced green technologies, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency systems. It was inspiring to witness how such initiatives can tangibly improve sustainability while reducing environmental impacts.

Using state-of-the-art energy efficiency technologies to renovate existing properties and construct new ones could enable Europe's construction sector to almost eliminate its carbon emissions by 2060, a new study suggests.

Representatives of the Ministry of Construction reveal that buildings consume more than 30% of total energy consumption in the fast growing economy. Thus improving the energy efficiency for the new construction is an urgent requirement.

The Ministry of Construction said five localities including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Can Tho would pilot using energy efficient and energy-saving construction materials in construction works.

2009 statistics from Ministry of Industry and Trade show that Vietnam’s rate of growth in electricity consumption was 2.45 times greater than GDP growth rate. Consumption in industry – construction sector accounted for about 38%, civil 36.8%, transportation 20%, the rest in service and agriculture.

In recent years, together with the growth of the entire economy, construction companies obtained an annual growth rate of 12-16 percent. Production was expanded and the use of energy as well as natural resources increased. Presently, energy consumption by the construction sector accounts for 20-24 percent of the total amount of energy consumption nationwide.