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Wednesday, May 14, 2025
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Laos to Launch New Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Ahead of COP30

This Week

Laos has launched a renewed effort to transform its energy sector as part of its broader commitment to tackling climate change.

At a national workshop held in Vientiane on 8 May, officials announced the development of a new greenhouse gas emissions inventory focused on the energy sector, with projections extending to 2035. This inventory will provide policymakers with clearer insights into where emissions are highest and where reductions are most urgently needed.

A group photo from the workshop (photo supplied)

The workshop marked the official start of a project to update Laos’s climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

As part of this effort, Laos also plans to review a lessons-learned report beginning in 2025. The report will take a critical look at past climate actions to identify what has worked, what hasn’t, and how future strategies can be improved.

The country is also committed to drafting an updated energy-sector climate plan, known as NDC 3.0, which will lay out specific goals and actions to cut emissions and boost clean energy. 

It will form a key part of Laos’s national climate pledge under the Paris Agreement and be submitted ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November 2025.

The event on 8 May, led by the Department of Energy Efficiency and Promotion (DEEP) under the Ministry of Energy and Mines, marked the official launch of work on Laos’s next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The initiative is supported by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Australian Embassy.

In his opening remarks, Khammanh Sopraseurth, Deputy Director General at DEEP, outlined several key challenges facing the energy sector, including rising electricity demand during the dry season, reliance on imported fossil fuels, and the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions while supporting economic growth.

The workshop brought together 48 participants from government ministries, NGOs, academic institutions, development partners, and the media to begin shaping the updated plan.

In the months ahead, GGGI and its partners will carry out further research, hold consultations, and conduct technical assessments. 

Their aim is to complete the revised energy sector plan by September 2025, in time for inclusion in Laos’s full NDC 3.0 submission to the United Nations the following month.

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