User:Trieu k van/Vietnam Green Building Council

The Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) is a project of the Green City Fund Inc., (GCF) which is an international non-profit organisation based in Oakland, California, USA. The project has been implemented in Vietnam since 2007 aiming at building up a green construction environment in Vietnam. VGBC has been officially recogised by the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam in March 2009.

VGBC is a membership based non-profit organisation with a network of members from different sectors in Vietnam. in December 2007, VGBC was acknowledged as an "Emerging Green Building Council" by the World Green Building Council; in September 2009, VGBC became a member of the World Green Building Council - Asia Pacific Network. In order to promote a more sustainable building environment in Vietnam, VGBC's team has done many researches to design and develop the LOTUS rating tools, the Vietnam's first rating tools for green buildings. It also works with academia, government and private sectors, key industry and research institutes to promote green practices in design and construction.

To raise awareness about green buildings and sustainability in Vietnam, VGBC offers a number of education opportunities including trainings, workshops and online exams to educate the public and the industry professionals about basic knowledge about green buildings and the LOTUS rating tools for green building certification. Green Database, the Vietnam's first directory of green products and services available in Vietnam, is also an initiative by VGBC to offer more green solutions for both the public and the industry professionals.

1, LOTUS rating tools
The development of the LOTUS rating tools has started since 2007 when the project was first implemented. The idea was initiated by Jalel Sager (VGBC's co-founder and former Executive Director) and other VGBC's co-founders. The tools have been developed and improved since then with the contribution of its current team. The LOTUS rating tools are the first tools to rate and certify green buildings in Vietnam. The tools include the LOTUS Non Residential, a rating tool for non-residential buildings, and the LOTUS Residential, a rating tool for buildings with 80% of the space allocated to residential purposes. The tools have been developed through a long-term research based on existing rating tools such as LEED, BREEAM and Green Star taken into account the Vietnam's economic and natural characteristics and the Vietnamese standards and policies.

2, Green Database
The Green Database is a directory of environmentally friendly products and services which are available in Vietnam. Information about green products and services are not easy to access for the public and industry professionals in Vietnam; and the database serves as an useful tool for anyone interested in adopting green solutions for their buildings or houses. The directory is an open database which can be accessed without fee.