On 22 November 2023, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and the Project Development Programme (PDP) co-hosted an in-person and virtual meeting to kick off their collaboration in Viet Nam. The joint effort aims to develop and scale rooftop solar photovoltaic projects to manufacturing facilities in the country.
Implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Project Development Programme (PDP) is an integral part of the German Energy Solutions Initiative. Coordinated and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), it aims to globalise German and European technologies and expertise in climate-friendly energy solutions. The PDP combines development cooperation with private-sector engagement to foster partnerships between local businesses and trusted providers of climate-friendly energy solutions, creating mutually beneficial outcomes and advancing the energy transition in its cooperation countries. Simultaneously, German and European providers benefit by easing their market entry into developing and emerging countries.
More than 40 representatives from garment and textile factories joined the meeting. Ms. Eunice Doan, PDP Viet Nam’s Energy Advisor and Country Representative, introduced PDP’s support and services offered to the facilities, which guides them through the development process of solar projects such as the selection of system size, connecting to experienced German service providers, and best investment scenario. These included technical evaluation, financial calculation, project implementation, and connection to financing opportunities.
At the meeting, Ms. Joyce Tsoi, SAC Director of Collective Action, shared information about the Collective Action team, which oversees the development of its Decarbonization Programme in support of the organisation’s goals to achieve a 45 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction in line with science-based targets (SBTs) by 2030 – and to zero by 2050. The SAC launched the Decarbonization Programme in 2022 and integrated SBTs into SAC’s membership requirements in 2023, with over 50 per cent of members having taken this action to date.
