(VOVworld) - A strategy for developing energy for Vietnam after COP21 was the focus of discussions at a recent workshop in France.

The event drew crowds of local and Vietnamese experts and students. Professor Nguyen Khac Nhan, former lecturer at Grenoble University, called on nations to stop using coal-fired power plants, reduce the need for fossil fuel, and boost investment in renewable energy sources. He said Vietnam has great potential for developing renewable energy with 41,000 km of rivers and waterways that could be used for hydropower. Vietnam is also endowed with favorable weather patterns for developing biomass, solar power and wind power. The Vietnamese Government has adopted a National Strategy on Energy Development through 2020 with a vision towards 2030, which aims to raise the proportion of renewable energy from 3 percent of total power generation in 2010 to 5 percent in 2020 and 11 percent in 2050.