Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BXD dated December 20, 2024 of the Ministry of Construction processes and technical regulations on greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the construction sector

CIRCULAR

Processes and technical regulations on greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the construction sector

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Pursuant to the Law on Environmental Protection dated November 17, 2020;

Pursuant to the Law on Construction dated June 18, 2014;

Pursuant to the Law dated June 17, 2020 Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Construction;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP dated January 07, 2022 providing the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of the ozone layer;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 52/2022/ND-CP dated August 08, 2022 defining the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Construction;

Pursuant to Decision No. 13/2024/QD-TTg dated August 13, 2024 of the Prime Minister promulgating the (updated) lists of greenhouse gas-emitting sectors and facilities subject to greenhouse gas inventory;

At the proposal of the Director of the Science - Technology and Environment Department;

The Minister of Construction hereby promulgates the Circular on processes and technical regulations on greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation in the construction sector.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular guides the processes and technical regulations on sector- and organization-level greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation under the management of the construction sector.

Article 2. Subjects of application

1. This Circular applies to the following subjects:

a) Facilities in the lists of facilities subject to greenhouse gas inventory in the construction sector under Decision No. 13/2024/QD-TTg dated August 13, 2024 of the Prime Minister promulgating the (updated) lists of greenhouse gas-emitting sectors and facilities subject to greenhouse gas inventory;

b) Authorities, organizations, and individuals involved in sectoral- and organization-level greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting, and verification of sector- and organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation under the Ministry of Construction.

2. Construction material manufacturers and buildings not prescribed at Point a, Clause 1 of this Article are encouraged to provide information for the purpose of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting, and verification of sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation under the management of the Ministry of Construction and apply this Circular.

Article 3. Interpretation of terms

In this Circular, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. Buildings mean commercial and service buildings as prescribed in Decision No. 13/2024/QD-TTg.

2. Greenhouse gas emissions mean are the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

3. Greenhouse gas emission source means a place where physical or chemical processes that cause greenhouse gas emissions occur, or activities that use electricity or heat, which is related to fossil fuels, in production or operation.

4. Activity data means quantitative data of types of fuels and substances used at the greenhouse gas emission source.

5. Base year means a period identified for collecting activity data and calculating the level of greenhouse gas emissions on a national, sector or facility basis.

6. VILAS means the Vietnam Laboratory Accreditation Scheme compliant with ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

Article 4. Requirements on greenhouse gas inventory, measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation

1. The greenhouse gas inventory and measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation prescribed in this Circular must meet the requirements prescribed in Clause 1, Article 10 and Clause 1, Article 11 of the Government’s Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP dated January 07, 2022 providing the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and protection of the ozone layer. It is specified as follows:

a) Completeness: The greenhouse gas inventory and measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation must be applicable to all greenhouse gas emission sources. Data must be collected in a continuous and uninterrupted manner, and any addition or exclusion thereof compared to regulations must be explainable;

b) Consistency: The data, data series, and calculation methods for the greenhouse gas inventory and measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation must be consistent. In case of any change, a comparison and reconciliation report is required;

c) Transparency: Documents, assumptions, activity data, applied factors, and calculation methods used for the greenhouse gas inventory and measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation must be clearly explained, with references to sources, and retained to ensure high reliability and accuracy;

d) Accuracy: Calculations of the greenhouse gas inventory and measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation must be made in a reliable manner using the selected methodology, and deviations must be minimized.

2. The requirements for verification of greenhouse gas inventory and greenhouse gas emission mitigation results are prescribed in Article 9 of Circular No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT dated January 07, 2022 of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment detailing the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection regarding climate change response.

Article 5. Process for greenhouse gas inventory

The greenhouse gas inventory process shall be conducted in the following order of steps:

1. Determine the scope of greenhouse gas inventory.

2. Determine the method to collect activity data for greenhouse gas inventory.

3. Collect activity data for greenhouse gas inventory.

4. Select factors for calculation of greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Calculate greenhouse gas emissions.

6. Conduct quality control and quality assurance of greenhouse gas inventory.

7. Assess the uncertainty of greenhouse gas inventory results.

8. Re-calculate results of greenhouse gas inventory.

9. Formulate the greenhouse gas inventory report.

10. Verify and submit results of greenhouse gas inventory.

Article 6. Process for measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation

The process for measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation shall be conducted in the following order of steps:

1. Formulate the greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan.

2. Measure the results of greenhouse gas emission reduction measures implemented.

3. Make a report on greenhouse gas emission mitigation.

4. Verify and submit results of greenhouse gas emission mitigation.

Chapter II

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS ON SECTOR-LEVEL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY

Article 7. Determination of the scope of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory

1. The sector-level greenhouse gas inventory shall be conducted for the following activities:

a) Industrial processes in manufacturing construction materials (cement, lime, construction glass, and other construction materials);

b) Energy consumption in construction (by construction material manufacturers and buildings).

2. Greenhouse gas emission sources from industrial processes in the manufacturing of construction materials include emissions from the process of calcining materials containing carbonate (-CO₃) groups.

3. Emission sources from energy consumption in construction include emissions from the use of fuel for the fuel combustion process and the use of electricity.

4. The activity data collection period: from January 01 to December 31 of the inventory year.

5. The greenhouse gases inventoried: CO₂, CH₄, N₂O.

Article 8. Determination of the method to collect activity data for sector-level greenhouse gas inventory

The method to collect and calculate activity data may be determined from one of the following 03 methods:

1. Top-down: Activity data of the emission source is aggregated from statistics and surveys of the sector. Greenhouse gas emissions shall be calculated in accordance with Article 11 of this Circular, and emission factors are selected in accordance with Article 10 of this Circular.

2. Bottom-up: Activity data of the emission source is aggregated from survey data and operation reports of all facilities within the scope of the sector. Greenhouse gas emissions shall be calculated in accordance with Article 21 of this Circular, and emission factors are selected in accordance with Article 20 of this Circular.

3. Combination: Activity data of the emission source is aggregated from statistics, sector- and organization-level surveys. Calculations shall be made according to the aggregated data.

Article 9. Collection of activity data for sector-level greenhouse gas inventory

The activity data for sector-level greenhouse gas inventory shall be collected as follows:

1. Collect data using Form No. XD01 and Form No. XD02 provided in Appendix III to this Circular.

2. Data shall be collected and aggregated, using the forms, from the following data sources:

a) Data from State regulatory authorities in charge of statistics, the Ministry of Construction, specialized construction authorities under the People's Committees of provinces and municipalities, construction socio-professional organizations and other relevant ministries, sectors and specialized authorities, etc.;

b) Research data, reports, regulations of the Ministry of Construction, specialized construction authorities under the People's Committees of provinces and municipalities, construction socio-professional organizations and other relevant ministries, sectors and specialized authorities published in the mass media or the results of researches, tasks, and projects that have been accepted;

c) Research, survey, analytical, and aggregated data from construction material manufacturers and buildings subject to greenhouse gas inventory on the lists prescribed in Decision No. 13/2024/QD-TTg;

d) Research, survey, analytical, and aggregated data from construction material production facilities and buildings on the list of key energy users issued by the Prime Minister;

e) Analytical data from VILAS-accredited laboratories or equivalents.

3. Dossiers evidencing the origin of data used for calculating sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results shall be retained for verification purposes.

Article 10. Selection of factors for calculation of sector-level greenhouse gas emissions

1. The fuel heat values prescribed in Appendix V to this Circular shall be used.

2. The sector-level emission factors prescribed in Appendix VI to this Circular as well as alternative and updated emission factors issued by competent State authorities and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shall be used. The applicable national grid emission factor shall be the one announced by the competent State authority. In the absence of an updated emission factor, the factor of the most recent year shall be applied.

3. The global warming potentials prescribed in Appendix VII to this Circular.

Article 11. Calculation of sector-level greenhouse gas emissions

1. The amount of sector-level greenhouse gas emissions is the aggregation of emissions from industrial processes in the manufacturing of construction materials (cement, glass, lime, other construction materials) and energy consumption in construction (by construction material manufacturers and buildings), calculated according to the following formula:

Where:

2. Greenhouse gas inventory activities are prescribed in Clause 1, Article 7 and Section 1.1, Appendix I to this Circular.

3. The sources of emissions prescribed in Clause 2 and Clause 3, Article 7 of this Circular.

4. The calculation formula for each emission source is prescribed in Sections 1.2 thru 1.8, Appendix I to this Circular.

Article 12. Quality control and quality assurance of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory

1. The Ministry of Construction shall conduct quality control of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results, ensuring:

a) The completeness of the greenhouse gas inventory report as prescribed in Article 15 of this Circular;

b) The satisfaction of the requirements prescribed in Clause 1, Article 4 of this Circular.

2. The review and quality assurance as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article shall be conducted by units and individuals not involved in the sector-level greenhouse gas inventory process.

3. Findings and recommendations during the quality control and quality assurance process shall be documented into a report, which serves as a basis for adjusting inventory results and for reference in the verification process.

Article 13. Assessment of the uncertainty of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. The uncertainty of the results of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory from all inventoried greenhouse gas emission sources shall be assessed to identify the activities of which the uncertainty should be reduced in subsequent inventory periods.

2. The method for determining the uncertainty of the inventory results shall be selected and implemented in accordance with Chapter 3, Part 1 of the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

Article 14. Re-calculation of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. Re-calculation of sector-level greenhouse gas emission inventory results shall be conducted upon a request to improve accuracy and transparency in the following cases:

a) There is a change in the emission calculation method, in which case the accuracy of the data is enhanced resulting in a significant change in the latest greenhouse gas inventory results;

b) There is a change in the scope of inventory;

c) There is a change in the greenhouse gas emission sources and factors.

2. Re-calculated results of the previous inventory period may be added into the calculated greenhouse gas inventory report of the reporting period.

Article 15. Formulation of the report on sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. A report on sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results shall be formulated using Form No. 05 provided in Appendix II to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

2. The timeline to report on sector-level greenhouse gas inventory is prescribed at Point a, Clause 3, Article 11 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

Article 16. Verification and submission of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. The Ministry of Construction shall assume the prime responsibility for verifying the sector-level greenhouse gas inventory in accordance with Article 10 of Decree No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

2. The Ministry of Construction shall send the report on sector-level greenhouse gas inventory results, which is verified, to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in accordance with Point a, Clause 3, Article 11 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

Chapter III

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS ON ORGANIZATION-LEVEL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY

Article 17. Determination of the scope of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory

1. The organization-level greenhouse gas inventory shall be conducted for the following emission sources:

a) Construction material manufacturers: Emissions from use of fuels for combustion processes, from use of purchased electricity, and from calcining materials containing carbonate (-CO₃) groups;

b) Buildings: Emissions from use of fuels for combustion processes, from use of purchased electricity, and from the use of cooling equipment (air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, chillers, heat pumps, etc.).

2. Boundaries and scope of operations of the facilities: Geographical coordinates of the respective facilities.

3. The activity data collection period: from January 01 to December 31 of the inventory year.

4. The greenhouse gases inventoried: CO₂, CH₄, N₂O.

Article 18. Determination of the method to collect activity data for organization-level greenhouse gas inventory

The facility shall collect activity data using the following method:

1. On-site measurement, analysis, and calculation by the enterprise.

2. Measurement, analysis, and calculation by the raw material supplier.

Article 19. Collection of activity data for organization-level greenhouse gas inventory

1. Data shall be collected using Form No. CS01 and Form No. CS02 provided in Appendix IV to this Circular.

2. Data shall be collected and aggregated, using the forms, from the following data sources:

a) Reports on material and product consumption for the production process of the facility;

b) Purchase invoices, contracts, commitments of the raw material supplier;

c) Analysis of VILAS-accredited laboratories or equivalents;

d) Meters with valid calibration and inspection.

2. The facility shall provide dossiers and documents evidencing activity data for verification purposes upon request and be responsible for the accuracy of the reported data.

Article 20. Selection of factors for calculation of organization-level greenhouse gas emissions

1. The fuel heat values determined on site at the facility. In cases where the actual data is not available, the factor prescribed in Section 5.2 of Appendix V to this Circular shall be used.

2. The emission factors prescribed in Appendix VI to this Circular shall be used. The facility is allowed to use an alternative emission factor suitable to the actual conditions and must have documents evidencing it. The applicable national grid emission factor shall be the one announced by the competent State authority. In the absence of an updated emission factor, the factor of the most recent year shall be applied.

3. The global warming potentials prescribed in Appendix VII to this Circular. The facility shall select and apply factors equivalent to the global warming potentials used in the latest national reports and notices.

Article 21. Calculation of organization-level greenhouse gas emissions

1. The greenhouse gas emissions of construction material manufacturers and buildings shall be calculated using the following general formula:

Where:

2. Organization-level greenhouse gas emission sources are prescribed in Clause 1, Article 17 of this Circular and Section 1.1, Appendix I to this Circular.

3. The formula for calculating greenhouse gas emissions for each emission source is prescribed in Appendix I to this Circular.

Article 22. Quality control of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory

1. The quality control process for the organization-level greenhouse gas inventory report is conducted by the facility in accordance with the guidance provided in Subsection 6.1.2, Section 6 of National Standard TCVN ISO 14064-1:2011 Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.

2. Findings of limitations on activity data, emission factors, and emission calculations during the quality control process shall be summarized in the organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results report, which shall serve as a basis for adjusting inventory results and for reference in the verification process.

Article 23. Assessment of the uncertainty of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. The uncertainty of the results of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory from all greenhouse gas emission sources of the facility shall be assessed to identify the activities of which the uncertainty should be reduced in subsequent inventory periods.

2. The method for determining the uncertainty of the inventory results shall be selected and implemented in accordance with Chapter 3, Part 1 of the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

Article 24. Re-calculation of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. The re-calculation of organization-level greenhouse gas emission inventory results is aimed at improving accuracy and transparency and shall be conducted in the following cases:

a) There is a change in the operational scope and boundaries, resulting in changes in the emission sources and activity data of the facility;

b) There is a change in the greenhouse gas emission source due to a change in ownership or operation of the facility;

c) There is a change in the emission calculation method and application of emission factors;

d) There is a change or update of activity data in order to enhance the accuracy of the data, resulting in a change of more than 10% compared to the greenhouse gas inventory results reported by the facility.

2. The facility shall be responsible for adding the re-calculations of the greenhouse gas inventory results of the previous inventory period into the organization-level greenhouse gas inventory report of the reporting period.

Article 25. Formulation of the organization-level greenhouse gas inventory report

1. The organization-level greenhouse gas inventory shall be reported on a periodical basis in accordance with Point b, Clause 4, Article 11 of Circular No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

2. A report on organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results shall be formulated using Form No. 06 provided in Appendix II to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

3. Greenhouse gas emissions from biomass combustion must be inventoried and reported separately. The aggregated amount of organization-level greenhouse gas emissions shall not include greenhouse gas emissions from biomass combustion.

Article 26. Verification and submission of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results

1. The process for verification of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results shall comply with Clause 6, Article 11 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP and Article 12 of Circular No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

2. The facility shall submit a report on greenhouse gas inventory results in accordance with Point b, Clause 4, Article 11 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

3. The facility shall complete the report on greenhouse gas inventory results according to the notice of verification results and submit such report in accordance with Point c, Clause 4, Article 11 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP and Clause 4, Article 12 of Circular No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

Chapter IV

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS ON MEASUREMENT, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF SECTOR-LEVEL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION MITIGATION

Article 27. Formulation of the sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan

The measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation shall be based on the sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan. To be specific:

1. A sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan shall be formulated using Form No. 01 provided in Appendix IV to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

2. The sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan shall be based on the feasibility of implementing the following mitigation measures:

a) The measures prescribed in Section 2.1 and Section 2.2, Appendix II to this Circular;

b) Policy, design, construction, management, operational measures, and other financial measures.

Article 28. Measurement of the results of sector-level greenhouse gas emission reduction measures implemented

1. The results of sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation measures implemented shall be measured using the following formula:

Where:

2. Respective data shall be collected to determine the reduction attributed to each measure using Forms XD03 thru XD11 provided in Appendix III to this Circular.

3. Measure and determine the results of each greenhouse gas emission mitigation measure implemented in accordance with the guidance provided in Appendix II to this Circular.

Article 29. Reporting on sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation

1. A sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation report shall be formulated using Form No. 01 provided in Appendix III to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

2. The sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation shall be reported in accordance with Point b, Clause 3, Article 10 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

Article 30. Verification of sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation

1. The Ministry of Construction shall assume the prime responsibility for verifying the sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation in accordance with Article 11 of Decree No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

2. The Ministry of Construction shall send the sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation report in accordance with Point b, Clause 3, Article 10 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

Chapter V

TECHNIQUES FOR MEASUREMENT, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF ORGANIZATION-LEVEL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION MITIGATION

Article 31. Formulation of the organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan

The measurement, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation shall be based on the organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan. To be specific:

1. A organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan shall be formulated according to Form No. 02 provided in Appendix IV to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

2. The facility shall determine the greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan according to the feasibility of implementing the mitigation measures prescribed in Section 2.1 and Section 2.2, Appendix II to this Circular.

Article 32. Measurement the results of organization-level greenhouse gas emission reduction measures implemented

1. The results of each greenhouse gas emission mitigation measure implemented at the organization level shall be measured in accordance with the guidance provided in Appendix II to this Circular.

2. Respective data shall be collected to determine the reduction attributed to each measure using the Forms CS03 thru CS11 provided in Appendix IV to this Circular.

Article 33. Reporting on organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation

1. The organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation shall be reported on a periodical basis in accordance with Point a, Clause 3, Article 10 of Circular No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

2. Construction material manufacturers shall make greenhouse gas emission mitigation reports using Form No. 02 provided in Appendix III to Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP.

Article 34. Verification of organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation

1. The facility shall submit the greenhouse gas emission mitigation report to the unit performing the verification of greenhouse gas emission mitigation prescribed at Point a Clause 3 Article 10, Article 14 of Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP and Clause 4, Article 13 of Circular No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

2. The organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation shall be verified following the process prescribed in Article 13 of Circular No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

3. The facility shall complete the organization-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation report according to the notice of verification results and submit such report in accordance with Clause 4, Article 13 of Circular No. 01/2022/TT-BTNMT.

Chapter VI

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 35. Effect

This Circular takes effect on February 05, 2025.

Article 36. Organization of implementation

1. The People's Committees of provinces and municipalities shall be responsible for providing information for the formulation of sector-level greenhouse gas emission mitigation plans and organizing the verification of organization-level greenhouse gas inventory results under the management of the construction sector in their respective localities.

2. The authorities in charge of construction management under the People's Committees of provinces and municipalities shall be responsible for urging and inspecting the implementation of this Circular for facilities in the construction sector under the Prime Minister's Decision promulgating the lists of greenhouse gas-emitting sectors and facilities subject to greenhouse gas inventory.

3. Facilities in the lists of greenhouse gas-emitting facilities subject to greenhouse gas inventory in the construction sector under Decision No. 13/2024/QD-TTg shall be responsible for formulating organization-level greenhouse gas inventory reports; formulating and implementing greenhouse gas emission mitigation plans; reporting greenhouse gas emission mitigation results and coordinating the implementation of sector-level greenhouse gas inventory under the management of the construction sector.

4. In cases where legal documents incorporated by reference into this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, the respective amendments, supplements, or replacements shall be applied accordingly.

5. Difficulties and bottlenecks that arise during the implementation hereof should be reported by relevant authorities, organizations, and individuals to the Ministry of Construction for timely consideration and resolution./.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.