IFC financing two wind power projects in Vietnam

IFC on May 26 announced that it is providing a financing package of US$57 million to Thuan Binh Wind Power Joint Stock Company (TBW), a subsidiary of Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE). This will enable the construction of two onshore wind power plants – Phu Lac 2 in Binh Thuan province and Loi Hai 2 in Ninh Thuan province – with a total capacity of 54.2 megawatts ((MW). The plants will generate about 170 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy per year once they start operating later in 2021.

CITES and FAO hold joint workshop in support of the verification of timber legality in the Lower Mekong Region

Verifying the origin of timber destined for export and ensuring its legality is a crucial aspect of trade regulations under CITES. Most of the countries in the Lower Mekong Region have a general understanding of the “legal acquisition findings” requirement but none have published national guidance to ensure that the verification of the legal acquisition is done systematically and in a transparent manner.