Reducing urban heat with sustainable cooling solutions

The program is implemented by the Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to help these cities adapt to rising temperatures and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The information was given at the Workshop on Sustainable Cooling Solutions in Urban Areas in Vietnam held on May 17 in Hanoi.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Quang, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change, spoke at the Workshop.

According to the National Climate Assessment Report 2021, climate change will increase Vietnam's average temperature by up to 4 degrees Celsius in the North and 3.5 degrees Celsius in the South by 2100. The increase in temperature, combined with the urban heat island effect (UHIE), makes Vietnamese cities among the urban areas most at risk of extreme heat waves globally.

According to data from the Ministry of Construction, by the end of 2020, our country's urban system had 862 urban areas of all types, the urbanization rate determined by urban functional areas had reached nearly 40%. Urban areas have become the driving force and locomotive for socio-economic development of regions and the whole country, contributing about 70% of the country's GDP, accounting for a dominant proportion in budget revenue, exports, and industrial production. However, the structure and quality of urban infrastructure have not met the requirements of population and economic development in urban areas, and have not adapted to climate change.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Quang, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), the updated climate change scenario of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has shown that manifestations of climate change such as increased temperature, changes in rainfall, rising sea levels and increased extreme weather events will continue to occur faster and with greater frequency.

Mr. Jason Lee, Deputy Director of Asia and Chief Representative of the Global Green Growth Institute in Vietnam (GGGI) spoke at the workshop.

Rising air temperatures, frequent and prolonged heat waves increase the demand for cooling equipment. However, cooling that does not meet the requirements for energy and fuel savings in urban operations will also increase greenhouse gas emissions - the cause of climate change. In addition, the process of repairing, maintaining and replacing cooling equipment that is not carried out in accordance with regulations can cause the leakage of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases into the environment. These substances, when emitted directly into the atmosphere, contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer and increase the Earth's temperature.

“The need for sustainable cooling solutions in urban areas is urgent globally and in Vietnam. Effective and sustainable cooling in urban areas can help countries reduce hunger and poverty, reduce food loss, improve health, manage energy demand and respond to climate change,” Mr. Quang emphasized.

Requirements for sustainable cooling have been included in the tasks and solutions of the National Strategy on Climate Change for the period up to 2050 (Decision No. 896/QD-TTg dated July 26, 2022 of the Prime Minister) and Vietnam's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) (2022).

To promote climate-friendly cooling solutions to combat extreme heat in Vietnamese cities, the “Sustainable Urban Cooling in Urban Areas in Vietnam” program will support three pilot cities to assess and propose solutions for sustainable cooling in urban areas to integrate into city policies.

Green space of Dong Hoi City Public Service Management Board building (Quang Binh province)

According to Mr. Jason Lee, Deputy Director of Asia and Chief Representative of the Global Green Growth Institute in Vietnam (GGGI), through this initiative, GGGI will support these cities to develop an Action Plan (UCAP) with specific solutions, fund pilot projects and mobilize stable city budgets to address the challenges of extreme heat, promoting effective urban cooling.

Emphasizing the importance of integrating cooling measures into national, provincial/municipal policies, Mr. Jason Lee said that this will help Vietnam deploy solutions synchronously and effectively and pursue the goal of reducing emissions, adapting to climate change in the NDC, and achieving green and sustainable growth.

Along with the Sustainable Urban Cooling Program, the Department of Climate Change and UNEP also jointly implemented the cooperation program "NDC Action Project - Facilitating climate adaptation and low-carbon development in line with national and global goals". The goal is to strengthen national capacity to implement NDC; develop policies and programs to promote the implementation of NDC in two priority areas: climate change adaptation and sustainable cooling in urban areas in Vietnam.

The programme will also develop climate-friendly investment plans; increase green investment and appropriate financial mechanisms for sustainable cooling projects in urban areas. Thereby, enhancing capacity, responsibility and activities on sustainable cooling in urban areas; Facilitating experience sharing with other countries.

Conference scene

At the workshop, delegates listened to representatives of the Department of Climate Change, UNEP, GGGI and relevant agencies share information on the content of the two cooperation programs; international experience, policies for implementing solutions to adapt to climate change and sustainable cooling in urban areas and financial mobilization mechanisms for sustainable cooling in urban areas.

Representatives of ministries, sectors, organizations, enterprises, Vietnamese and international experts exchanged and discussed to develop proposals for effective urban cooling solutions suitable to the context of Vietnam; promote the implementation of NDC in adapting to climate change in the Central Coast region, and at the same time promote attracting investors to support sustainable cooling solutions and combat extreme heat in urban areas in Vietnam.

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