On the morning of September 29, 2025, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), in collaboration with the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund, held the opening ceremony of the training course “Capacity Building for Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) and Program Implementing Entity (PIE)" under the Vietnam Scaling Up Energy Efficiency Project (VSUEE).

In his opening remarks, Mr. Cu Huy Quang, Head of the Division of Energy Efficiency and Green Transition, Department of Innovation, Green Transition and Industrial Promotion (MOIT) emphasized: “Ensuring energy security is considered a strategic issue, vital for the socio-economic development of the country. Resolution No. 70-NQ/TW dated August 20, 2025 of the Politburo on ensuring national energy security to 2030, with a vision to 2045, set the goal of saving 8–10% of final energy compared to the business-as-usual scenario, affirming that energy efficiency is not only an economic requirement but also the responsibility of the entire society and the nation.”

The Amended Law on Energy Efficiency and Conservation No. 77/2025/QH15, passed by the National Assembly on June 18, 2025 and effective from January 1, 2026, has supplemented and completed the legal framework and key mechanisms to promote investment in energy efficiency, including provisions on the Fund for Promoting the Use of Energy Efficiency and Conservation. This is an important step forward in mobilizing social resources, particularly from credit institutions, to accompany enterprises in implementing energy efficiency projects.

In this context, banks and financial institutions play an extremely important role as “strategic partners,” helping industrial enterprises access green finance and sustainable credit packages, thereby turning energy efficiency ideas and solutions into real projects. The success of the energy efficiency market in industry greatly depends on the proactive, active, and professional participation of financial institutions.

The training course is organized to strengthen the capacity of staff from financial institutions participating in the project in identifying, appraising, and evaluating the effectiveness of energy efficiency projects. At the same time, it equips participants with in-depth knowledge and essential professional skills to effectively fulfill their role in implementing the Risk Sharing Facility under the VSUEE Project, as well as sharing financial mechanisms related to energy efficiency activities and improving energy performance that may be developed in the future.

The training program focuses on key topics, including: (i) Updates on the VSUEE Project, the energy efficiency market, and the ESCO business model; (ii) Financial–technical appraisal skills for energy efficiency projects; (iii) Measurement and Verification (M&V) tools for energy savings, as well as environmental–social impact and ESG assessment. These training contents will help participants gain an overall picture of the opportunities and challenges in the field of energy efficiency, improving accuracy and objectivity in making investment decisions for energy efficiency projects, ensuring that projects are not only economically effective but also socially and environmentally sustainable.

The MOIT expects that after this program, participants will have their expertise further strengthened, their professional skills enhanced, and be ready to play a pioneering role in making green credit and sustainable finance a driving force for Vietnam’s energy efficiency market. In doing so, financial institutions will make an important contribution to the country’s successful implementation of the targets set in Resolution No. 70-NQ/TW, as well as its international commitments on greenhouse gas emission reduction and sustainable development.