Energy Transition Update: 31.8 - 07.9.2026
Energy Transition Update: 31.8-07.9.2026
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Energy Transition Update: 31.8-07.9.2026 ---
NORTHERN VIETNAM INCREASES INVESTMENT IN BATTERY STORAGE TO SUPPORT THE POWER GRID
VnExpress – 1 September 2026
Northern Vietnam is expanding battery energy storage systems (BESS) to reduce pressure on the electricity grid during peak demand. EVNNPC plans to deploy 530 MW of battery storage across 83 substations, with nine installations already completed. In Bac Ninh, where electricity demand reached about 3,229 MW during the August heatwave, around 30 MW of stored power was released to support the grid at peak hours. The batteries charge when demand is low and discharge when consumption rises, helping reduce overload risks and improve grid stability. Storage can also make better use of existing grid infrastructure rather than relying solely on new generation and transmission investment. However, wider deployment will require suitable sites, stronger safety systems and specialised training as the technology is still relatively new in Vietnam.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE: VISION TO 2045
VietnamPlus – 1 September 2026
Vietnam has set a 2045 vision for a clean and healthy living environment, with development increasingly aligned with nature and climate resilience. Under Conclusion No. 75-KL/TW, environmental protection and climate change response are positioned as central elements of the country’s long-term development strategy. Vietnam aims to establish a modern environmental governance system, improve its ability to adapt to climate change and strengthen protection against natural disasters. The approach also links environmental action with the green transition, productivity and economic competitiveness, rather than treating it separately from growth. Earlier targets for 2026–2030 include increasing the green economy’s contribution to GDP and developing more climate-resilient urban areas. By 2045, the broader goal is to combine sustainable economic development with better environmental quality and stronger resilience to increasingly severe climate impacts.
VIETNAM’S GARMENT-TEXTILE SECTOR EMBRACES TRANSFORMATION TO SUSTAIN EXPORT MOMENTUM
VietnamPlus – 4 September 2026
Vietnam’s garment and textile industry is increasingly treating green transition and innovation as competitive requirements, rather than simply conditions for exporting. The sector earned USD 46 billion from exports in 2025 and is targeting USD 48 billion in 2026, but global buyers are placing greater emphasis on emissions, recycled materials, clean energy, traceability and working conditions. Vietnamese firms are responding by investing in greener production, new materials and technology; for example, Faslink says its recycling solutions can reduce CO₂ emissions by about 59% and water use by 47% compared with conventional production. At the same time, changing trade policies and cost pressures mean competing mainly on low prices is becoming less sustainable. The sector therefore needs to move beyond basic processing towards design, product development, domestic materials and higher-value production, supported by digitalisation and automation. This shift could help Vietnam retain global orders while building a greener, more resilient and higher-value textile supply chain.
Summarised by Phan Le and Hai Thanh Nguyen
In collaboration with the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions