Addressing the meeting, the Deputy PM emphasised that energy saving brings about many benefits such as the reduction of production costs and investment in the energy sector, and environmental protection.
The Government set up the VNEEP3 in the 2006-2015 period, which has been positively welcomed by ministries, sectors localities, enterprises and people, bringing about a reduction of 3.4% and 5.65% of total energy consumption in the 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 periods, respectively.
However, energy saving is facing a number of difficulties, with energy consumption per product unit remaining high in many industries, at about 1.3 to 1.6 times higher than other countries in the region.
In fact, wasteful and inefficient use of energy still occurs in many industries, sectors and localities. Public awareness of energy saving is limited while many businesses and households have not prioritised the implementation of energy efficiency measures.
In addition, the access to credit loans for implementing energy saving projects remains difficult while funds for activities within the VNEEP3 are not enough to encourage the economical and efficient use of energy.
The government official asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to complete the legal system and coordinate with other ministries, sectors and localities to step up energy saving within sectors, contributing to improving national competitiveness, environmental protection, people's lives, and sustainable development.
