The Montreal Protocol was adopted internationally in 1987, and Vietnam ratified it in 1994. Since then, the country has worked alongside the international community to phase out ozone-depleting substances, reducing their impacts on human health and contributing to the recovery of the ozone layer.
However, as we transition to newer generations of refrigerants, some alternatives have themselves been greenhouse gases with high global warming potential, contributing to global warming.
In response, the international community adopted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol in 2016, and Vietnam approved its participation in 2019. As we move toward technologies that are more environmentally- and climate-friendly, we are also facing new requirements and challenges.
Over the past decade, and the seven years since Vietnam approved the Kigali Amendment, the country has established a basic legal framework and roadmap for the technology transition. This includes refrigerant lifecycle management and requirements for equipment, with the aim of gradually replacing technologies that have adverse climate impacts with greener alternatives.
Compared with some other Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam has a relatively comprehensive policy and regulatory framework.
The challenge, however, is implementation. A comprehensive framework does not automatically translate into effective enforcement, and some countries that started later may have stronger implementation capacity.
I see several issues that need attention. First is technology transition. This is not simply a matter of replacing one refrigerant with another; equipment may also need to be redesigned.
Second is energy efficiency. Improving the efficiency of equipment and systems can reduce energy consumption and should be pursued alongside the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down. The Montreal Protocol has shown that combining the Kigali Amendment’s HFC phase-down with energy-efficiency measures can double the benefits. This has been demonstrated through scientific studies and calculations.
Third is lifecycle management. Although it may seem relatively straightforward, this area is still at an early stage. Under current regulations, unused refrigerants should be collected, reused, or recycled, and destroyed only when they can no longer be recovered.
Collection costs are another major challenge. We have considered linking collection with producer and importer responsibility, potentially incorporating the cost into the product’s initial sale price. But this is difficult because it intersects with other policy areas.
Addressing these challenges will require cooperation between the government, researchers, businesses, technicians, and users. Researchers can help develop practical and effective solutions, while users play an important role through their equipment choices.
Businesses and technicians are particularly important in the technology transition. As we move to new refrigerants that may be flammable or subject to other safety requirements, technicians will need appropriate training and skills.
Everyone has a role to play in making the world cooler and healthier and helping Vietnam fulfill its international commitments.
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Cooling demand is rising rapidly due to global warming, urbanization, and industrialization, particularly with the growth of digitalization and the digital economy. Over the past two decades, annual growth in cooling demand was consistently in the double digits during the first ten years - nearly three-times Vietnam’s average GDP growth. Growth has slowed over the past decade but remains almost double the global average.
Studies show that cooling currently accounts for 25.5 per cent of Vietnam’s total electricity consumption. Without intervention, that figure could triple by 2030. This is broadly consistent with International Energy Agency projections that cooling could account for 25-30 per cent of global electricity consumption by 2030-2035.
In late June 2026, during the year’s hottest days, Vietnam’s national power system reached a record peak capacity of 58,000 MW, equivalent to nearly 60 power plants of 1,000 MW operating simultaneously. Electricity consumption also reached 1.222 billion kWh, or 9.9 per cent above the 2025 peak.
These figures show that cooling is an essential and growing need. Yet cooling systems can also contribute to climate change. The more we use air conditioning, the more heat we release outdoors. Combined with urbanization and the use of concrete, this can raise urban temperatures by 2-5°C compared with surrounding areas, creating the urban heat island effect.
Refrigerants are another concern. When they leak into the atmosphere, some can damage the ozone layer and have a global warming potential (GWP) hundreds or even thousands of times greater than CO2.
The challenge, therefore, is to meet growing cooling needs without increasing energy consumption and emissions. Vietnam is among the countries most affected by climate change and needs to work with the international community to reduce emissions across all sectors, particularly energy.
From a technical perspective, improving the energy efficiency of air conditioners can reduce electricity use and emissions. But solutions should begin before equipment is installed, with better urban planning and building design. Solar shading, natural ventilation, vegetation, water features, and better building-envelope insulation can all passively reduce cooling demand.
These measures can lower not only energy consumption but also upfront investment and equipment costs. Once a building is properly designed, its technical systems should prioritize energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly cooling technologies, supported by appropriate operations and refrigerant management.
Lifecycle management is particularly important as cooling demand rises while refrigerant import quotas become tighter. Reusing refrigerants can help meet demand without increasing imports of high GWP substances.
In my view, sustainable cooling must be approached as a complete chain - from urban planning and building design to passive cooling, new technologies, skilled technicians, and refrigerant lifecycle management. Together, these measures can provide a comprehensive approach to sustainable cooling and reducing urban heat.
Strong government leadership and coordinated cross-sector policies are also essential.
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There are many definitions of green buildings worldwide. In Vietnam, the concept was first defined in legal regulations under Government Decree No. 15/2021/ND-CP on construction investment project management. Green buildings are characterized by the efficient use of energy and resources, environmental protection, and conditions that ensure occupant comfort and health.
Energy efficiency is a core requirement. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, cooling accounts for more than 25 per cent of the country’s total energy consumption. Studies and international projects have found that ventilation, cooling, and air conditioning can account for 40-60 per cent of a building’s total energy use.
Sustainable cooling, whether at the urban or project level, involves the entire process, from planning and design to equipment and material selection, construction, and operation.
First, cooling and energy demand should be addressed at the planning stage. For new urban developments and green building projects, energy-efficiency and green building requirements should be incorporated into master, detailed, and zoning plans. Key considerations include building density, green space and water surface ratios, building orientation, and surrounding landscaping.
Second, passive and bioclimatic design should be prioritized. Careful calculations of cooling demand and the proper design, installation, and operation of ventilation and air conditioning systems are critical to a building’s energy performance. Experience from pilot projects shows that attention to energy efficiency and cooling loads can significantly reduce energy consumption.
Third, material selection matters. Building-envelope components, including walls, windows, and roofs, should be selected to improve energy performance and reduce cooling demand during operation.
Fourth, temperature and energy use should be actively managed. Building management systems, combined with digital and smart-building technologies, are increasingly being used to control indoor conditions and energy-consuming equipment, including ventilation and air conditioning systems. These technologies can improve energy efficiency while maintaining occupant comfort and health.
Fifth, people are an important part of the equation. The skills of building operators and the awareness of occupants directly affect energy efficiency and the ability to maintain a building’s green standards.
To promote green buildings and cities and advance sustainable cooling, Vietnam should develop policies that gradually make green building standards mandatory for certain types of new and renovated projects. This should be supported by technical regulations, standards, and economic-technical norms covering design, construction, commissioning, and operation, as well as energy performance and green certification.
Energy and green labeling should also be expanded to energy-consuming products, mechanical and electrical equipment, and selected construction materials.
At the same time, energy-efficient and green projects should have better access to green finance and credit for new construction, renovation, and equipment replacement, including ventilation and air conditioning systems. This can improve energy performance while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts.
Energy-efficiency goals should also be integrated with environmental protection, greenhouse gas reductions, refrigerant management, ozone protection, and Extended Producer Responsibility requirements. Such coordination can help scale up green building projects and related support programs.
Finally, capacity building is essential. Stakeholders need better access to information, public awareness programs, training, and skills development covering energy efficiency, environmental protection, and emission reductions.
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Air conditioning technology and the market are changing rapidly from the need to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and keep operating costs genuinely affordable.
At Daikin, we believe the future of air conditioning is not simply about providing comfort. It must also help reduce electricity demand and support sustainable development. This is driving manufacturers like us to invest heavily in advanced technologies that reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts.
These include high-efficiency inverter systems, AI-powered smart controls for residential and commercial buildings, and sensors that optimize system operations. We are also moving toward equipment that uses low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants to reduce impacts on the climate and ozone layer.
In Vietnam, most residential and commercial air conditioners now use R32 refrigerant, combined with high-efficiency inverter technology. R32 has a lower environmental impact and higher cooling efficiency than R410A. It also requires less refrigerant to be charged into the system, further reducing its environmental impact. High-efficiency equipment and lower-GWP refrigerants therefore offer both economic benefits and broader environmental and social benefits.
We see this as a solution that benefits all. Consumers can reduce their operating costs, manufacturers gain an opportunity to bring more advanced technologies to market, and society benefits from a more sustainable environment.
However, turning high-efficiency cooling and climate-friendly refrigerants from a niche option into a mainstream choice will depend on several key factors.
First are policies, regulations, and standards. These can accelerate the transition. Vietnam has already introduced minimum energy performance requirements, energy labeling programs, green building standards, and a roadmap for transitioning to climate-friendly refrigerants. As these standards become more widely adopted, efficient technologies can gradually become the market norm rather than a premium option.
Second is market awareness. Between 2012 and 2016, Daikin Vietnam was among the first companies to introduce residential products using the new R32 refrigerant to the Vietnamese market. We organized training for technicians on safe and efficient installation, as well as workshops with experts, partners, contractors, and customers to raise awareness about the new refrigerant.
Looking ahead, we hope to transition larger commercial systems, such as VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) and VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) systems, to R32. We would welcome cooperation from government agencies, vocational schools, and training institutions nationwide, as well as other air conditioning manufacturers, to train technicians and installers and facilitate the introduction of these new systems.
As production of new air conditioning systems expands and supply chains mature, the cost of advanced technologies should decline. This will make newer, more efficient products more accessible.
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In building design, passive strategies can reduce heat loads and cooling demand from the outset. The first step is planning from a holistic perspective that includes environmental factors. A well-designed building should be part of a well-planned whole, considering green space ratios, building density and height, and the arrangement of building volumes. These factors help optimize orientation while addressing issues such as urban heat islands and overall site ventilation.
Building orientation is also critical. South and southeast orientations should be prioritized, while large west-facing surfaces should be avoided because of intense afternoon solar radiation. This is a basic principle, but one often overlooked or difficult to apply in urban housing, particularly narrow tube houses.
Spatial planning can further reduce heat gain. In tube houses and row houses - the most common housing types in Vietnamese cities - skylights and courtyards can provide natural light and ventilation throughout the building, reducing reliance on air conditioning in central rooms.
Once the building form and layout are optimized, attention can turn to individual façades. Traditional measures such as roof overhangs, louvers, balconies, and brise-soleil (sun breakers) can be highly effective, yet are increasingly replaced by large glazed surfaces in the name of modernization.
But before discussing how to promote passive design and green buildings, we should ask why these solutions are often removed or deprioritized.
First, there is pressure to maximize floor area. Developers want as much usable space as possible for sale, lease, or occupancy. As a result, spaces that do not generate direct revenue, such as skylights, buffer zones, and shaded areas, are often the first to go. Yet these spaces improve the building’s micro-climate and can increase the value of primary commercial areas.
Second, there are regulatory gaps. Vietnam’s current energy-efficiency building code, QCVN 09:2017/BXD, which will be replaced by QCVN 04-3:2026/BXD from February 1, 2027, primarily applies to buildings with more than 2,500 sq m of floor area. Individual homes, which make up a significant share of the building stock, are not currently covered.
Third, standardized design practices can be a problem. Ready-made, modular plans applied across different sites are rarely optimized for the specific ventilation and day-lighting conditions of each plot.
These are the main technical barriers, before even considering financial constraints.
To preserve passive design or adopt green building measures, developers need to make these priorities from the beginning. Energy efficiency and green building requirements should not be add-ons introduced midway through design. Incorporated from the outset, they become part of the project roadmap and are much harder to remove later.
Binding commitments can also help. When a developer commits to certification such as LEED, LOTUS, or EDGE, the project must meet their defined criteria and be verified by a third party. These requirements are reflected in drawings, design specifications, and material selections, making them harder to drop during development.
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