On June 18, the National Assembly voted to pass the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Energy Efficiency and Economics (amended).
The Law on Energy Efficiency and Savings (amended) is expected to remove barriers and perfect the legal framework to encourage businesses and the whole society to make green transition effectively and sustainably.
Amending the law is extremely necessary, in order to institutionalize major policies of the Party and State, while at the same time solving practical problems, increasing the effectiveness of state management and meeting the requirements of international integration.
The passed law has added regulations on energy labeling for construction materials.
According to the approved law, vehicles, equipment, and construction materials on the list of vehicles, equipment, and construction materials that must be labelled with energy must be labelled before being put on the market.
Production establishments and enterprises importing, distributing and trading vehicles, equipment and construction materials, including on e-commerce platforms, must announce and label energy for vehicles, equipment and construction materials.
The announcement of this energy label is carried out after the means, equipment and construction materials are tested and assessed for compliance with national standards on energy performance according to the provisions of the law on technical standards and regulations, and the law on measurement.
The Minister of Industry and Trade and the Minister of Construction, within the scope of their duties and powers, are responsible for developing and promulgating a list of means, equipment, and construction materials that must be labelled with energy and implementation roadmap under the management of the Ministry.
At the same time, it is responsible for regulating the content and characteristics of energy labels; regulating testing rooms that are eligible for a testing certificate in accordance with energy performance standards.
Guiding and announcing energy labeling for vehicles, equipment, and construction materials under the management of the Ministry; regulating the recognition of energy labels for imported vehicles and equipment.
The Provincial People's Committee will develop an annual plan to organize the implementation of inspections and checks on compliance with legal regulations on energy labeling of vehicles, equipment, and construction materials in production, business, and distribution in the area.
The newly passed law also stipulates that organizations and individuals invest in the production of energy-saving products and materials; invest in upgrading and renovating production lines, expanding production scale using energy-saving technology, investment projects in energy-saving facilities, production, installation of machinery, equipment or energy-saving materials, projects to optimize the use of energy or reduce greenhouse gas emissions are given incentives and support.
Accordingly, they are given incentives according to the provisions of the law on land; are entitled to preferential loans and support according to the provisions of law from the Energy Saving and Efficient Use Promotion Fund, the Vietnam Development Bank, the National Technology Innovation Fund, the Environmental Protection Fund; are supported by the National High-Tech Development Program, the National Program on Energy Saving and Efficient Use.
Receive other incentives as prescribed in this Law and other relevant legal provisions; support technical activities including: energy audit, research, consulting, design, technical consulting experts, application of energy-saving technology.
The Government stipulates the encouragement of organizations and enterprises to invest, expand, upgrade, renovate, and switch to energy-saving technology, reducing greenhouse gas emissions; invest and switch to the production of energy-saving products, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through green credit support mechanisms and issuing green bonds.
The Government will develop incentive mechanisms and support solutions to promote the application of transformation processes in line with the technological revolution, digital transformation in production and industrial processing; promote innovation in the field of energy-saving and efficient use.
