PRISMA Systematic Review of Energy Efficiency Policies and Regulations for Building Sector in Vietnam: Existing Implementation Status and Recommendations

The energy consumption in the construction industry, including the building sector, accounts for about 37–40% of the total national energy consumption in Vietnam. This study aims to perform a comprehensive review of energy efficiency policies and regulations for the building sector in Vietnam and other Asian countries. For this purpose, a systematic literature review using the PRISMA method was adopted. Based on the analysis of existing institutional, regulatory, technical, financial, market, information and knowledge, and capacity gaps of building energy efficiency policies and regulations in Vietnam as well as the reference to relevant experiences of other Asian countries, the key recommendations for short-, medium-, and long-term actions towards enhancing implementation of those policies and regulations were provided. Overall, the policy implementation strategy should prioritize strengthening institutional coordination among ministries and regulatory enforcement, developing technical infrastructure necessary for future policy implementation, and improving stakeholder capacity in the short term; expanding market-based implementation mechanisms and progressively tightening performance standards in the medium term; and achieving a comprehensive transition towards net-zero energy buildings in the long term. The findings of this study could help shift the identified gaps into opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of energy efficiency policies and regulations for the building sector in Vietnam.