VNREA leaders to greet the French Development Agency delegation

Joining President Nguyen Tran Nam in welcoming the delegation of the AFD were General Secretary of VNREA Mr. Do Viet Chien and representatives of Vietnamese real estate enterprises like Capital House Group, Phuc Khang Investment and Construction JSC., and CEO Group.

For the French Development Agency delegation, the party is led by Mr. Fabrice Juquois, Energy Projects Manager at AFD, Paris.

At the meeting, Mr. Juquois presented the PEEB, the outline of the EELE Housing Program and the financial mechanism for green housing programs.

He noted that Vietnam has many housing development strategies, but more energy-saving programs are required for this segment.

“We provide green credit to support the government on green construction, including affordable housing. This loan will be lent to the common people for 15 years and investors for 3-5 years. I also hope that there will be a national workshop later this year to discuss green building development programs and policies. At the same time, exchanging the experiences on green building development from both Vietnamese government and private businesses, in conjunction with addressing barriers,” said Fabrice Juquois.

VNREA leaders to greet the French Development Agency delegation.

Mr. Nguyen Tran Nam said that the help of the French delegation in reviewing legal corridors and constructive ideas on green buildings are greatly appreciated. The timing of the additional capital is precise considering the Vietnamese government is tightening credit into the real estate market.

The association has also organized a training course on green buildings for journalists. Since then, real estate firms and the general public are better aware of the importance of green construction. Positive signs are also seen in the buying and selling of green real estate products and architecture.

“Although Vietnamese firms are facing many difficulties, they still have a sense of responsibility for green building development and been creating energy-saving projects. However, the problem does not entirely lie with private businesses but also buyers’ consciousness”, Nam believed.

Receiving the AFD delegation were President Nguyen Tran Nam and representatives of some Vietnamese property firms.

On the topic of assessing Vietnamese enterprises’ capability to building green, President Nam affirmed that Vietnamese contractors are highly skilled in construction and architecture. Vietnam has built many high-rise buildings that satisfy toughest energy-saving criteria.

However, two remaining issues are needed to be addressed. Firstly, what is green building? And secondly, how is green building be financed?

Nam said that green construction must either meet building code Circular No.09 of the Ministry of Construction or satisfy international standards like LEED.

Head of the delegation, Mr. Fabrice Juquois, Energy Projects Manager at AFD, Paris.

“We believe that the borrowers’ rate should be higher than the lenders’. Especially in terms of selecting debtors, the delegation should consult VNREA”, stated Nam.

Mr. Fabrice Juquois expressed that the delegation requests MoC’s building codes for all green projects. Their goal initially is low, then aiming for higher green standards, pushing businesses and the market to perform better.