IEA convenes 150 energy efficiency professionals from across Southeast Asia for training week in Viet Nam

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is holding its Southeast Asia Energy Efficiency Policy Training Week in Hanoi from 1-4 December. Co-hosted by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, and with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), it marks a key milestone in the IEA’s work on energy efficiency with countries across Southeast Asia. 

Nearly 150 energy efficiency practitioners and policymakers from 12 countries have gathered in Hanoi to exchange insights on how stronger efficiency measures can help address Southeast Asia’s rapidly growing energy demand.

“This week in Hanoi shows the extraordinary momentum building across Southeast Asia to make energy efficiency a cornerstone of development,” said Brian Motherway, Head of the IEA’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions. “By sharing practical experiences and proven policy approaches, countries in the region are demonstrating that efficiency is not only the ‘first fuel,’ but also one of the fastest, most affordable ways to enhance energy security and support sustainable growth.”

“Energy efficiency measures have already delivered enormous benefits across Southeast Asia, and it’s vital that they remain at the heart of energy discussions,” said Sue-Ern Tan, Head of the IEA’s Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore. “Actions on efficiency can ensure countries have the energy they need to drive economic growth that improves lives while tackling emissions.”

“Energy conservation is the foundation for sustainable growth for the economy as a whole, particularly in the context of rapidly increasing energy demand,” said Dang Hai Dung, the Deputy Director General of Viet Nam’s Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion within the Ministry of Industry and Trade. “Improving energy efficiency is a pillar for ensuring energy security, reducing production costs and protecting the environment.”

The event is the IEA’s 22nd Energy Efficiency Policy Training Week and the first time the IEA has hosted it in Viet Nam. The training weeks form part of the IEA’s Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies Programme and are carried out with funding from the Agency’s Clean Energy Transitions Programme.

Over the past 10 years, the Energy Efficiency Policy Training Weeks have trained over 3 000 policy makers from more than 130 countries, leading to the adoption of over 1 000 energy efficiency policies. The events aim to help build global and regional communities of energy efficiency policymakers who can then support stronger and more ambitious national strategies.