The Vietnam Green Building Council, founded in Vietnam by Green Cities Fund in 2006, has had a major impact in Vietnam and Southeast Asia through its educational programs and its development of the “Lotus” green building certification program specific to Vietnam. “Lotus” certification is now widely used in Vietnam in both commercial and residential building. A 2018 survey by Dodge Data & Analytics found that 61% of
respondents from Vietnam expect to do new green high-rise residential work, which is significantly more than the 37% of respondents from the other green leader in South East Asia, Singapore, and the 35% global average. The Dodge Data survey found that the top drivers for green building in Singapore were government policies and lower operating costs, whereas in Vietnam the top drivers were market demand, higher building value (with an average 7 year payback time for green investment), and the health of building occupants. VGBC is now completely self-sufficient, governed by an independent local board of experts.