Vietnam struggles to break one of world's biggest coal addictions

13 Sept 06:43 Key points summarised by AI

Vietnam struggles to reconcile ambitious net-zero pledges with its deep reliance on coal, maintaining a significant coal power program despite commitments to phase out dirty energy.
The jailing of key climate activists casts doubt on Vietnam's ability to achieve its environmental goals, hindering public support and expert collaboration vital for energy transition.
Despite a meteoric rise in solar energy capacity, infrastructure limitations impede its full integration into the national grid, creating a bottleneck for cleaner energy adoption.
While new climate targets are more ambitious, their implementation faces significant hurdles due to Vietnam's coal-dependent economy, requiring extensive time and systemic shifts.

Lamphun in a New Light

Today 15:02 Key points summarised by AI

Lamphun illuminates its ancient city with two concurrent light festivals: the high-tech VIJIT Thailand @ LAMPHUN and the traditional Hundred Thousand Lantern Festival.
VIJIT Thailand @ LAMPHUN transforms historic landmarks into an outdoor gallery, using projections and multimedia to animate Lamphun's history, including Queen Chamadevi's story.
The Hundred Thousand Lantern Festival, part of Yi Peng, fills temples and streets with countless traditional lanterns, symbolizing Buddhist devotion and personal wishes.
These festivals offer a unique after-dark experience, blending contemporary light art with centuries-old Lanna traditions, connecting visitors to Lamphun's past and faith.