The National Programme for Energy Efficiency and Conservation will need around VND1 trillion (US$48 million) to save between five and eight per cent of the nation’s total energy consumption by 2015, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
The programme, which began in 2006, includes activities to encourage, promote and propagate science and technology research as well as mandatory management measures designed to promote energy efficiency and conservation.
It is divided into two phases, from 2006 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2015. During the latter phase, experiences and results of the first will be evaluated and activities spread out to more localities nation-wide.
The goal of the programme is to save three to five per cent of the total national energy consumption in the first phase and from five to eight per cent in the second.
The programme has already spent about VND150.22 billion and effected energy consumption savings of 3.4 per cent.
The Planning and Investment Ministry plans to spend most of the VND1 trillion estimated for the second phase for strengthening education and promotion about the importance of energy efficiency and savings activities, and developing highly productive, energy saving equipment.
The second phase will also seek to gradually stop the use of inefficient and energy-intensive equipment, particularly in buildings and in the transport sector.
The State Budget would contribute VND400 billion towards the second phase and VND300 billion is expected to be contributed by eligible localities. The remaining VND300 billion will be raised from other sources including overseas loans.
Officials have said that to ensure success of the programme in the second phase, in addition to improved co-ordination between related ministries and industries, there must be a determined leadership at all levels that is supported by the general public as well as the business community.
They said the aim is to make efficient and economical use of energy a part of household and enterprise culture.
Environmental threat
The Planning and Investment Ministry has also proposed that the Government includes environmental protection in the list of national programmes to be carried out between 2012 and 2015.
A nation-wide survey of vocational villages and industrial parks carried out by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee found that the natural and living environment was under serious threat.
National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung stressed the need to set up an office that will be responsible for monitoring national scale programmes.
This environment protection programme would need about VND2.5 trillion for development, of which nearly VND1.6 trillion will be raised from localities and the remaining from various domestic and overseas sources.
