Stakeholders shines spotlight on green industry policy
Preparations are underway to set in motion Laos’ green industry policy and market preparations for industrial energy efficiency. The purpose of green industry policy and industrial energy efficiency policy guidelines as well as the action plan is to drive the transformation of industry in Laos towards a low-carbon, resources-efficient economy that also enable productivity gains.
Stakeholders including government officials from key ministries, industrial enterprises, business associations, and development partners attended the stakeholder engagement workshop on the topic in order to discuss the rollout of the policy on Thursday. Director General of the Industry and Handicraft Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Dr. Bouavanh Vilavong and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Laos Deputy Country Representative, Mr Christophe Assicot, co-chaired the workshop in Vientiane. The workshop informed stakeholders about the project and officially launched the Lao green industry policy and industrial energy efficiency policy guidelines and action plan.
The workshop has introduced the key principles of green industry, policy development methodology and process, and explained industrial energy efficiency opportunities in Laos. It also engaged and collected feedback from all stakeholders, with a focus on the private sector. Participants were given a clear understanding of the project, including the process and methodology as well. Feedback and comments from stakeholders in relevant sub-sectors were collected to support the Laos Green Industry Policy project.
The Global Green Growth Institute has supported the Lao PDR Green Industry Policy project to develop this policy and enable work to be carried out in the field of industrial energy efficiency by government officials and the private sector. In parallel, the Green Climate Fund has provided a readiness grant for ‘Market Preparation for Industrial Energy Efficiency in Laos’, a programme with GGGI as the delivery partner.
According to GGGI, in 2016 the government published the national policy on energy efficiency and conservation. This set a 10% reduction target in energy consumption by 2030 compared to the business-as-usual scenario. The target is included in the revised 2020 Lao Nationally Determined Contribution to be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The government is also implementing its National Green Growth Strategy approved in 2019, with the industrial sector selected as a priority because of its importance for local economic and social development and environmental sustainability.
Source: Vientiane Times