Vietnam walks tightrope between meeting net-zero targets and pursuing economic growth

VIETNAM’s energy transition may be getting a leg up from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) it has struck with G7 (Group of Seven) countries, but the South-east Asian country’s energy planners still face a tough road ahead, experts told The Business Times.

These difficulties are reflected in the government’s delays in finalising their eighth Power Development Plan (PDP8), noted Le Hong Hiep, coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Programme at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.

The PDP8 is Vietnam’s primary energy planning instrument for the years between 2021 and 2030, with a vision to 2045. But it has faced delays and constant revisions, which show an inability to reach a consensus on the country’s appropriate mix of renewable and conventional energy in the next 10 years, he added.