Vietnam Green Finance Bridging Support

Vietnam Green Finance Bridging Support (Local Expert)

About UK PACT

The UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme aims to strengthen the effectiveness of key institutions public, private, and civil society in partner countries to accelerate emission reductions and raise the ambition of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Through its focus on NDCs, UK PACT supports global efforts to review commitments and enhance climate ambition.

Background

Vietnam aims for a GDP growth of around 10% from 2026 to 2030 and about 7.5% from 2031 to 2035. The country has a strong commitment to achieving Net-Zero emissions by 2050, as announced by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during COP26. Vietnam also submitted its updated NDC in November 2022 with significantly increased ambitions with an unconditional emission reduction target of 15.8% and a conditional target of 43.5% by 2030 compared to the business-as-usual scenario, representing substantial increases from the previous NDC targets of 9% and 27% respectively. To support these goals, Vietnam will need USD368 billion by 2040 according to World Bank's recent reports, in which USD21.7 billion for unconditional GHG reduction targets.

The financial sector in Vietnam represents 4.09% of GDP in 2023, with green credit outstanding reaching USD25.6 billion as of March 2024, accounting for 4.5% of total credit. IFC (under WB Group) committed a record USD310 million in climate financing to Vietnam in FY2024, the highest in East Asia Pacific region, yet this represents less than 0.1% of total financing needs, highlighting the massive scaling challenge ahead.

In this context, Vietnam Government has released several new policies which create unprecedented momentum for green finance advancement in the country. Vietnam has established a strong policy foundation for green finance development through the National Green Growth Strategy, new fiscal incentives through Resolution 198/2025, and the National Green Taxonomy through the Decision 21/2025. Recently, Resolution 222/2025 has announced the new strategy for establishing International Financial Centres both in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang with explicit green finance mandates, which presents a unique window for attract new finance resources into the country.

UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) is UK Government's global technical assistance programme. In Vietnam, UK PACT supports the local government agencies and key stakeholders by funding high-impact projects that build capacity and capability to enable energy transition and green finance critical to meeting net-zero ambitions.

UK PACT's funding for green finance portfolio in Vietnam will be directed toward technical assistance across three components below, under a unified "Green Finance Facility" project.

• Component 1: Support greening the International Finance Centre: Develop a comprehensive, internationally aligned green finance regulatory framework for an International Financial Centre (IFC) in Ho Chi Minh City, with potential expansion to Da Nang.
• Component 2: Enhancing the enabling environment for green finance – Unlock Green Capital through strengthening national green finance regulations and guidelines which enable broader and more efficient access to green finance across sectors.
• Component 3: Pilot and scale innovative green finance instruments through UK partnerships, while supporting the Ministry of Finance in creating the regulatory and institutional conditions needed for successful mobilisation.

In this context, the Vietnam Green Finance Bridging Project aims at:

• Sustaining UK PACT's engagement with key counterparts;
• Laying groundwork for UK PACT's longer-term "Green Finance Facility" project;
• Providing targeted technical assistance to advance a comprehensive, internationally-aligned green finance framework for Vietnam's International Financial Center (IFC) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Gender, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) is a cross-cutting principle throughout the project, ensuring that the design and implementation of green finance policies, frameworks, and instruments promote equitable access and meaningful participation for women, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The Local Expert will support Ho Chi Minh City authority and the IFC Working Group under Component 1 (Greening the International Financial Centre) of the UK PACT Vietnam Green Finance Bridging Support project. The Local Expert will also apply GEDSI principles in all activities to support inclusive stakeholder engagement, equitable recommendations, and accessible technical assistance. Working in close coordination with the International Expert, project partners, and relevant local stakeholders, the Local Expert will play a key role in identifying needs, providing technical input, and facilitating effective collaboration to advance the development of a green finance under the IFC in HCMC. The Local Expert will lead the drafting of landscape assessments and technical assistance proposals specific to Ho Chi Minh authority, while contributing local insights and documentation to the final consolidated project reports led by the International Expert.

Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management:

• Work directly with Ho Chi Minh City authority and the IFC Working Group to identify needs, gaps, and priorities for developing a green finance regulatory and policy framework for the IFC.

• Provide technical input to support FCDO – British Embassy Hanoi and UK PACT Delivery Partners in engaging with HCMC authorities (and, if relevant, Da Nang authorities) to sustain collaboration and refine the scope of the Green Finance Facility project. Engagement processes will be explicitly guided by GEDSI principles, requiring inclusive and accessible consultation methods that proactively elevate the perspectives of female officials, persons with disabilities, ethnic minority representatives, and remove structural and practical barriers to their full and safe participation.

• Support liaison to ensure timely information flow and alignment between local counterparts and UK PACT .

• Support the organisation of meetings, workshops, and technical sessions with HCMC authorities, the IFC Working Group, and other relevant stakeholders with arrangements that promote inclusivity and accessibility for all participants.
• Facilitate collaboration with UK private sector stakeholders to ensure their effective involvement in project activities, identify entry points for private sector involvement, and ensure these entry points are effectively and feasibly integrated into the Green Finance Facility's design, while encouraging private sector approaches that promote inclusive and equitable access to green finance.

Technical Advice Landscape and Action Planning for Future Phases:

• Contribute to the development of a technical assistance proposal that includes a list of requests from HCMC and the IFC Working Group related to establishing the IFC and its associated mechanisms. This should cover both the deployment period (up to February 2026) and longer-term needs. During this process, the Expert will apply GEDSI-sensitive considerations when assessing data needs and capacity, and any design elements that may influence how different institutions interact with or access IFC mechanisms.
• Assess feasibility of and, where appropriate, directly support the delivery of selected activities during the deployment period—such as drafting technical guidelines, contributing to policy frameworks, or producing advisory notes that lay the groundwork for IFC implementation.
• Provide technical input and local context to the review, development, and improvement of green finance regulations, guidelines, and policies for the IFC with due consideration of potential social, gender, and inclusion impacts.

Reporting and Knowledge Management:

• Contribute to the preparation of milestone-based reports and deliverables for Component 1, including:

Milestone 1: Landscape Assessment Report on HCMC's green finance landscape and institutional readiness for IFC implementation, including analysis of inclusion gaps and opportunities for equitable participation (if any).

Milestone 2: Technical assistance to HCMC IFC and MOF/SSC, reflecting GEDSI considerations in recommendations where appropriate.
- Contribute local insights, documentation, and recommendations to the final consolidated report and handover package (Milestone 3), led by the International Expert, with lessons learned on inclusive engagement and accessible practices (if any).
- Support knowledge sharing and capacity building within HCMC authorities and the IFC Working Group, including the organisation of training sessions or workshops if required, ensuring workshops, trainings, and materials are accessible and inclusive for all participants.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience working directly with HCMC authority, the International Financial Center related authorities, or similar local government agencies in Vietnam.
• Prior involvement in donor-funded programmes (e.g., World Bank, FCDO, ADB) or technical assistance initiatives focused on green finance, financial sector reform, or legal reforms in Vietnam.
• Proven experience supporting or managing technical assistance projects in Vietnam, with the ability to coordinate, synthesize, and report on multi-stakeholder inputs - especially in collaboration with local authorities and project partners.
• Demonstrated expertise in green finance, climate policy, or institutional capacity building, with a strong track record of delivering high-quality technical outputs relevant to the Vietnamese context.
• Strong understanding of current Vietnamese regulations, mechanisms, and legal frameworks related to finance and green finance; in-depth knowledge of the government's and HCMC's current priorities in this area, enabling the expert to accurately identify the needs of local counterparts and propose targeted activities to address existing gaps.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and actionable reports, policy briefs, and presentations for senior decision-makers in both Vietnamese and English.
• Experience in stakeholder mapping, needs assessments, and the development of technical assistance proposals, particularly for local government or donor-funded projects.
• Advanced degree (Master's or higher) in Finance, Green Finance, Climate Policy, Economics, Public Policy, or a closely related discipline.
• Familiarity with GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) frameworks and the ability to incorporate these considerations into technical work.
• Excellent project management and coordination skills, with the ability to deliver outputs on time and to a high standard.
• Proficiency in Vietnamese is required; English proficiency is a strong asset.

Employment type: Consultancy

Compensation type: Output basis

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Interviews conducted on a rolling basis.