Vietnam’s Textile & Garment Push: Vietnam’s garment sector posted over $22.2B in export value in H1 2026 (+1.7% y/y), but hitting the full-year $48B target will hinge on higher productivity, tighter governance, and moving up to higher-value products. UNESCO Heritage Focus: Vietnam’s Deputy FM led its UNESCO World Heritage Committee push in Busan, urging science-based conservation, stronger international cooperation, and community-centered protection, with Vietnam to host an Asia-Pacific heritage dialogue in Hanoi. Energy Transition Talks: Petrovietnam met Canada to explore deeper cooperation on LNG, nuclear power, and CCS, with LNG import infrastructure and long-term supply highlighted. Climate & Coal Debate: Philippine climate groups protested coal plant licenses, while a counter-argument stressed coal’s role in power reliability and compared per-capita coal use across countries, including Vietnam. Green Buildings in Vietnam: Sembcorp Development secured pre-certification for Vietnam’s first LEED Volume prototype for ready-built facilities, aiming for big cuts in energy and indoor water use. Urban Transport Upgrade: Hanoi launched construction of five metro lines in a $49.5B expansion, linking the city center to Noi Bai Airport and new districts. Biodiversity Moment: A new toothed toad species was discovered in China’s Wumeng Mountains, adding to the region’s high amphibian diversity. Water for Data Centres: Thailand and Vietnam’s water utility WHAUP flagged fast-rising industrial water demand from data centres and a “water-positive” plan to return more water to nature.