A new web tool that calculates Viet Nam's energy supply and demand and how they interact with the country's greenhouse gas emissions until 2050 officially debuted yesterday in Ha Noi.

Modeled on the UK's 2050 Calculator, the Viet Nam 2050 Pathways Calculator was built in nine months by a group of Vietnamese experts working with the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Nguyen Duc Cuong, head of the group and director of the ministry's Renewable Energy and Clean Development Mechanism Centre, said that the tool would help authorised agencies formulate policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It would also answer questions related to efficiency and usage of low-carbon energy in the transport sector, such as how much renewable energy should be exploited, he said, adding that the tool would assist the country in integrating data from related sectors to plan energy development.

Ambassador of the British Embassy in Ha Noi Giles Lever expressed hope that the tool would provoke an open debate about low-carbon planning in Viet Nam as it did in his country.

Tran Van Luong, deputy director of the Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment Department, said that the tool would be useful for academics and businesses as well as for policymakers.

"We expect to replicate the tool at the provincial level so it can support local authorities in tackling climate change and formulating and implementing action plans on green growth," he said.

The launching ceremony was co-organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the British Embassy in Ha Noi. 

VNS