Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, April 6, 2010
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City launched the Professional Training Program on Energy Efficiency to promote energy efficiency solutions that will help enterprises reduce production costs, increase profit margins, and improve competitiveness.
The training program was developed by both institutions. Its goal is to help managers and technicians understand the nature of energy efficiency and key elements of energy management systems at factories. It also provides practical and effective energy efficiency solutions for enterprises.
“Experiences in many countries show that the success of energy efficiency activities in most enterprises depends on having committed managers with a good understanding of ways to use energy more efficiently and setting targets for energy cost savings,” said Karla Quizon, IFC Program Manager for Corporate Advice and Sustainability in the Mekong region.
With positive feedback from participants in the pilot programs, IFC and the Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City are now rolling out two training products, starting with at least 20 courses in 2010 for approximately 400 staff and managers from small-medium enterprises. The courses are: “Energy Efficiency for Enterprise Managers” (1-day) and “Energy Efficiency for Technicians” (3-day). Two more training products are under joint development by IFC and the Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City.
“I always thought energy efficiency was luxury for larger enterprises, but the course helped me realize that energy efficiency is applicable and achievable even in small and medium enterprises,” said Nguyen Phuoc Dinh Hung, Director of Trieu An Ltd Company and a training participant.
Huynh Kim Tuoc, Director of the Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City, said, “With support from IFC, this is part of our continued efforts to improve the quality of energy efficiency training and help companies and clients achieve good financial returns, while supporting the government’s objectives of conserving energy and reducing green house gas emissions.”
IFC is the only international financial institution focused exclusively on the private sector, the engine of sustainable development in emerging markets. Along with IBRD, it is currently seeking a capital increase to strengthen its ability to create opportunity for the poor in developing countries—including by supporting the efficient use of energy.
In Vietnam, IFC’s advisory activities are carried out through partnership with Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Switzerland.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $14.5 billion in fiscal 2009, helping channel capital into developing countries during the financial crisis. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
About The Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City
The Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City is directly under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Sciences and Technologies, a unit leading in producing and providing services on energy efficiency and new energy development. Apart from consultations and communications, we seriously focus on consulting services on building energy management systems, energy audit, construction design and investment consutling, deploying new energy projects and trainings. For more information, please go to
www.ecc-hcm.gov.vn
.
