CIRCULAR

ON URBAN GREEN GROWTH INDICATORS

MINISTER OF CONSTRUCTION

Pursuant to the 2015 Law on Statistics;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 94/2016/ND-CP dated July 01, 2016 specifying and providing guidelines for implementation of certain articles of the Law on Statistics;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 81/2017/ND-CP dated July 17, 2017 on functions, tasks, power and organizational structure of the Ministry of Construction;

Pursuant to implementation of the Decision No. 1393/QD-TTg dated September 25, 2012 by the Prime Minister on approval for national green growth strategy;

Pursuant to implementation of the Decision No. 403/QD-TTg dated March 20, 2014 by the Prime Minister on approval for national green growth implementation plan for the period of 2014-2020;

At the request of the Director of the Urban Development Agency;

The Minister of Construction promulgates a Circular on urban green growth indicators.

Article 1. Scope and regulated entities

1. Scope:

This Circular deals with urban green growth indicators and provides guidelines for reporting urban green growth in accordance with indicators for central-affiliated cities, class 1, class 2, class 3, class 4 and class 5 urban areas.

2. Regulated entities:

Authorities, organizations and individuals related to implementation of urban green growth.

Article 2. Definitions

For the purposes of this Circular, the terms below shall be construed as follows:

1. "green urban area" means an urban area that achieves economic growth through urban policies and activities in order to reduce adverse impacts on the environment and natural resources.

2. "urban green growth" means any activity of urban construction or planning; making and implementing programs of urban development; investing in urban areas towards green growth.

3. “urban green growth indicator” is an indicator used to assess urban green growth annually or in a periodic basis compared to that in a base year in order to request, approve and promote implementation of policies and activities related to urban green growth.

4. “base year” is the year of 2015 used for making the first report in accordance with the indicators stated herein.

5. “report on urban green growth in the base year” is a report made by applying all indicators for urban green growth for the base year.

6. “annual report on urban green growth” is a report made by applying certain indicators for urban green growth for the assessed year.

7. “periodic report on urban green growth” is a report made by applying all indicators for urban green growth in the same period as the stage of a local socio-economic development plan completed before a competent authority approves another socio-economic development plan in the next period.

8. “normal development plan” means development of an urban area when policies or activities related to urban green growth have not been applied to.

Article 3. Urban green growth indicators

Urban green growth includes 24 indicators that are divided into 4 groups. The list and descriptions of indicators are provided in Appendix No. 1 and Appendix No. 2 attached hereto, including:

1. 5 economic indicators for assessing economic growth in terms of consumption of energy and natural resources in urban construction and development.

2. 10 environmental indicators for assessing environmental quality and urban landscape, application of solutions to use of cost-effective energy, use of renewable energy, environmental safety and reduction of contamination, sewage discharge or greenhouse gas emission in urban development.

3. 4 social indicators for assessing improvement of living conditions of urban residents.

4. 5 institution indicators for assessing management, direction and operation of local urban areas towards urban green growth.

Article 4. Purposes and rules for reporting urban green growth

1. Purposes:

a) Propose prioritized activities related to urban green growth;

b) Appraise construction programs, plans or projects using sources of capital serving objectives of urban green growth;

c) Be the basis for proposing review or revision of specific indicators in urban planning or urban development programs;

d) Conduct inspections and supervision of programs or plans of urban areas to implement the national green growth strategy, reduce greenhouse gas emission, increase the rate of using renewable energy and reduce using natural resources in urban areas.

2. Rules:

a) Ensure accuracy, adequacy and timeliness of indicators and reports on urban green growth;

b) Ensure cost-effectiveness in collecting data on indicators and reporting urban green growth.

Article 5. Collection and processing of data

1. Sources of data on indicators shall be collected on the basis of reporting given by competent authorities mentioned in Article 8 herein.

2. The concepts, calculation methods and guidelines for each indicator are provided in Appendix No. 2 attached hereto and shall ensure consistency of each time the reporting is made.

3. Data used for calculating indicators shall be collected in accordance with declaration periods for each indicator mentioned in Appendix No. 2 attached hereto. The annual declaration period shall be determined from January 01 to December 31 of year.

4. Data used for calculating indicators in a report on urban green growth in the base year shall be determined from January 01 to December 31 of such year. Reporting shall apply to 24 indicators and is provided in Appendix No. 1 and Appendix No. 2 attached hereto.

5. Data used to calculate indicators in an annual report on urban green growth shall be determined from January 01 to December 31 of such year with 18 indicators excluding the indicators No. 0201; 0206; 0301; 0302; 0304 and 0401 mentioned in Appendix No. 1 and Appendix No. 2 attached hereto.

6. Data used to calculate indicators in a periodic report on urban green growth shall be based on the final year of the period. Reporting shall apply to 24 indicators and is provided in Appendix No. 1 and Appendix No. 2 attached hereto.

Article 6. Contents of reports on urban green growth

1. The report on urban green growth in the base year shall be the basis for comparison and assessment of urban green growth in the following reports, for identifying relevant parties and proposing issues that need to be prioritized.

2. The annual report on urban green growth shall be used to compare indicators in the assessed year with those in the base year, shall focus on analyzing changed indicators, increasing strengths, improving problems, submit certain recommendations and mobilizing participation of relevant parties effectively.

3. The periodic report on urban green growth shall assess the entire results of the urban green growth in the period of reporting and consolidating annual reports, review and direct, orient, make planning, implement urban development programs and give recommendations for the next period.

4. The sample reports are provided in Appendix No. 3 attached hereto.

Article 7. Prioritized activities

1. Reviewing or adjusting urban planning indicators, combining urban development models in compliance with orientation of urban green growth, such as: green urban area, economic-ecological urban area, smart urban area, low carbon urban area and solutions to prioritized fields mentioned in Clauses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 this Article.

2. Development of green urban transportation, public transportation and forms of low emission transport and limit to use of fossil fuels.

3. Development of green and environment-friendly works.

4. Clean water saving.

5. Waste treatment through reduction of waste discharge or emission, energy saving, reuse and recycling of waste.

6. Development and application of building materials green construction technology, cost-effective use of energy and encouraging use of clean energy.

7. Green and ecological urban development.

8. Increasing capacity of response to climate change for urban areas.

9. Smart urban development.

10. Provision of training and refresher courses in urban green growth for relevant officials and authorities.

11. Issuance of mechanisms, policies, priority, incentives or promotion of implementing the fields mentioned in Clauses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 this Article.

Article 8. Making of reports on urban green growth

1. For central-affiliated cities

a) People’s Committees of central-affiliated cities shall assign Departments of Construction thereof to take charge, carry out periodic inspections, monitor or entrust the reporting. Departments of Construction of central-affiliated cities shall prepare reports on urban green growth and implement plans approved by People’s Committees thereof; consolidate urban green growth indicators provided in Appendix No. 1 and Appendix No. 2 attached hereto, compile and issue such reports;

b) People’s Committees of central-affiliated cities shall assign relevant authorities and People’s Committees of affiliated urban areas to provide related data for focal points on schedule and take responsibility for such data;

c) Samples and contents of reports are specified in Article 6 herein;

d) Departments of Construction of central-affiliated cities shall send reports on urban green growth to People’s Committees and Departments of Planning and Investment thereof or Departments of Planning and Architecture of Hanoi city or Ho Chi Minh city as the basis for implementing the purposes mentioned in Clause 1 Article 4 herein and send them to the Ministry of Construction before March 31 every year.

2. For provincial-affiliated cities and urban areas affiliated to districts

a) People’s Committees of districts shall take charge or assign other authorities responsible for urban management to be focal points, to carry out periodic inspections, monitor or entrust implementation; make reports on urban green growth for class 5 urban areas from 2020. Focal points shall make plans for reporting on urban green growth for each urban area and implement those plans after People’s Committees of districts have approved or consolidated the urban green growth indicators provided in Appendix No. 1 and Appendix No. 2 attached hereto; make reports and request People’s Committees of districts to issue them;

b) People’s Committees of districts shall take charge or assign relevant authorities and People’s Committees of urban areas affiliated to districts to provide related data for focal points on schedule and take responsibility for such data;

c) Samples and contents of reports are specified in Article 6 herein;

d) People’s Committees of districts shall send reports on urban green growth to People’s Committees of provinces, Departments of Planning and Investment or Departments of Construction of provinces as the basis for implementing the purposes mentioned in Clause 1 Article 4 herein and send them to the Ministry of Construction before March 31 every year.

Article 9. Funding for implementation and making of reports on urban green growth

1. Funding for collecting data, calculating, analyzing and making reports on urban green growth in the base year, annual reports on urban green growth and periodic reports on urban green growth shall be provided by local budget and other legal funding in accordance with regulations of law.

2. Making of estimates, management, use or settlement of funding shall comply with regulations of relevant law. Cost estimates shall be determined and approved on the basis of contents and volume of duties and financial capacity of local authorities.

Article 10. Implementation

1. People’s Committees of provinces/central-affiliated cities shall direct People’s Committees of affiliated urban areas and relevant authorities to compile reports on urban green growth as the basis for implementation of urban green growth in affiliated urban areas.

2. Departments of Construction of provinces shall be the focal points to advise People’s Committees thereof about implementation of urban green growth in their provinces.

3. Departments of Construction of central-affiliated cities and People’s Committees of districts shall prepare reports on urban green growth; specify tasks to make reports and select consulting firms (if any) to make reports on urban green growth in the base year and on a periodic basis.

4. Urban areas shall request or cooperate with domestic and foreign organizations or authorities in assisting or sponsoring on-site assessment, making reports, monitoring and supervising implementation of urban green growth indicators.

5. The Ministry of Construction shall cooperate with People’s Committees of provinces/central-affiliated cities and People’s Committees of districts in raising sources of funding/assistance to instruct, disseminate and pilot urban green growth for urban areas.

6. The Ministry of Construction shall take charge, organize, provide guidance, supervise and assess reporting on urban green growth so as to promote the national green growth strategy in urban areas.

Article 11. Final provisions

1. This Circular comes into force from February 20, 2018.

2. Any issues arising in the course of implementation shall be reported to the Ministry of Construction.