On December 10th, 2019, the Viet Nam Energy Partnership Group (VEPG) held its Third High-Level Meeting (HLM) and First Stakeholder Forum in Hanoi. The High-Level Meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. ??ng Hoàng An – Vice Minister of Industry and Trade (MoIT) – and co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Giorgio Aliberti – Ambassador of the European Union to Viet Nam – and Mr. Ousmane Dione – Country Director of the World Bank. The event gathered more than 200 high-level representatives, including Ambassadors and representatives from the public sector, development partners, private companies, academia and civil society.

The highlight of this High-Level Meeting was the presentation of the VEPG Progress Report for 2019 and the approval of the report by the VEPG Chair and Co-Chairs. The report analyses the progress in the implementation of the forty (40) policy recommendations that were formulated by the five VEPG Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and adopted at the VEPG’s 2^nd High-Level Meeting on 26 November 2018. The recommendations address key policy development processes and other activities aimed at boosting Viet Nam’s energy sector development in 5 key priority areas: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Sector Reform, Energy Access and Energy Data and Statistics.

The Progress Report also underlines the importance of the VEPG, which has proven to be an effective coordination mechanism and a valuable dialogue platform, bringing together key government and development partners, as well as other sector stakeholders, to develop guidelines and recommendations to strategically important energy sector processes.

While recognizing the fruitful work of the VEPG in 2019, H.E. Mr. ??ng Hoàng An emphasized the persistent challenges in the energy sector that require further joint efforts and support in 2020 and beyond: “Viet Nam’s energy sector is of key importance for the development of the Vietnamese economy and the welfare of the people. It is of utmost importance to have strong and forward-thinking energy sector strategies in place to support Viet Nam’s transition to a modern, green and inclusive economy. We are committed to this task and welcome the support from the VEPG and the international development partners and further sector stakeholders that constitute our Partnership. I am very proud to receive the VEPG Progress Report today and ask all VEPG partners to intensify the work in the upcoming year, to develop solutions and provide support for our key sector transition tasks.”

H.E. Mr. Giorgio Aliberti added: “We have right now a great opportunity to shape the course of Viet Nam’s energy development. This is a unique opportunity for us to join hands in recalibrating the course towards more sustainable energy, shifting away from polluting to cleaner energy sources. The effects of climate change are severe and growing in frequency and intensity, both here in Viet Nam and around the world. Global and national transition processes to cleaner energy systems must be accelerated, with ambitious commitments from governments and with the strong support of development partners. The European Union remains fully committed to assist Viet Nam in its transition from brown to green energy, while also ensuring access to affordable energy for all and protecting Viet Nam’s competitiveness.”

Mr. Ousmane Dione also stated: “The success of the energy sector has been a key contributor to Viet Nam’s socio-economic development. As we look forward, the sector is at an inflexion point and is poised for the next phase of its growth. The challenge is to ensure that the future energy demand is met, while also honouring environmental commitments by accelerating the transition to renewable energy and energy efficiency, in a financially prudent manner. Continued strong policy reforms and a balanced system-wide approach is necessary for the development of the energy sector.  The World Bank will continue to work with the authorities and all development partners to create a world class energy sector in Viet Nam.”

The 1^st VEPG Stakeholder Forum, which followed the High-Level Meeting, hosted a select group of experts who shared their experience and debated prominent topics in Viet Nam’s energy sector. The inputs included keynote speeches of experts from international energy organisations, such as Dr. Brian Motherway – Head of Energy Efficiency of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Prof. David Dapice from the Vietnam Program at Harvard Kennedy School, experts from United Nations Environment Program/ Technical University of Denmark and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), as well as other national and international experts on energy sector planning, energy efficiency and distributed renewable energy. During panel discussions the audience had the chance to raise questions and actively participate in the debate, which resulted in a lively and successful event.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Mai 

Ministry of Trade and Industry  

Mobile phone: 090323623

Email: MaiNP@moit.gov.vn

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Linh

Public Relations and Communications Officer

Viet Nam Energy Partnership Group

Mobile phone: 0912292924

Email: linh.nguyen@giz.de