Can Tho (VNA) - The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 21 launched aproject on promoting low-carbon transformation in the energy sector forthe 2020-2030 period and with a vision to 2050.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dao Anh Dung said alow-carbon city uses clean energy sources from nature, such as solar, wind, andgeothermal energy, to replace those with high emissions.

He noted that being a low-carbon city would help cut down productioncosts and fuel consumption thanks to the use of renewable resources alreadyavailable in nature, which would bring about many new economic benefits andhelp ensure national energy security.

It will also help encourage a habit of saving energy, improve the poor’saccess to energy, reduce environmental pollution, and improve local livingstandards.

Therefore, he said, Can Tho, as the socioeconomic centre of the MekongDelta, is determined to take the lead in switching from fossil fuels to greenenergy.

In the newly-launched project, it plans to develop and apply wind andsolar energy across the city from now to 2025. It hopes to gain 6,000MW of windpower and 12,000MW of solar power annually by 2030 and have at least 20 percentof its annual power consumption generated from environmentally-friendly sourcesby 2050.

To that end, the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmentwill work with relevant agencies to survey energy awareness and demand among localorganisations, businesses, and residents, so as to build suitable low-carbonscenarios, according to the department’s deputy director Nguyen Chi Kien.

Based on collected data, authorities will estimate the volume ofgreenhouse gas emissions in five main sectors (industry and energy,agro-forestry-fisheries, transport, urban and rural consumption, and trade andservices) to propose and implement policies and solutions on energy managementand consumption in each field. It will also boost the development and applicationof scientific and technological advances to minimise greenhouse gas emissions.

Kien added that Can Tho will call on partners in developed economies tohelp it select and introduce energy projects with potential to major investors,thereby improving green power output and people’s access to low-carbon energyservices, developing a competitive energy market, and promoting efficientenergy use./.