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The Institute of Renewable Energy Promotion (IREP) of the MEM oversees the implementation of renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural electrification programmes. The Lao Institute of Renewable Energy (LIRE), a non-governmental and non-profit organization working with the MEM, promotes renewable energy and conservation through developing projects focussed on renewable energy sources, and creating a manual on renewable energy production and use.

Under Notification No. 0973, Annex 1, Lao PDR bans the exports of certain products on the basis of protecting national, artistic and cultural heritage and protecting the environment (Table 3.9).[9]
[9]Notification No. 0973/MoIC.DIMEX - Annex 1, 25 May 2011. Lao PDR Trade Portal. Viewed at: https://www.laotradeportal.gov.la/index.php?r=site/display&id=20#1.

(...) However, the situation regarding forest governance seems to have slightly improved as, after years of little or no progress in terms of REDD+, the country prepared a proposal to receive performance-based payments, which was accepted into the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Carbon Fund. [97] (...)
[97] In REDD+, the + includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. It is an international effort under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Controlled Business List, 2019
No. ISIC Business activities Investment conditions Management level Relevant legislation Responsible ministries
Central Provincial
Hazardous waste treatment and management Law on Environmental Protection No. 29/NA, 18 December 2012
Ministerial Instruction on Pollution Control, No. 0745/MONRE, 11 February 2015 Ministerial
Instruction on Waste Management, No. 0744/MONRE, 11 February 2015 Other relevant laws and regulations

The 2016 amended Law on Investment Promotion provides for a controlled business list, containing businesses that are sensitive to national security, public order, "national fine tradition" and socio-environmental impact. (…)

List of Concessions, 2019
No. ISIC Business activities Investment conditions Management level Relevant legislation Responsible ministries
Central Provincial
Railway construction, goods and (...) - Conduct social-economic and environmental Law on Environmental Protection No. 29/NA, 18
passenger transportation activities impact assessments of the project; November 2012

In line with its commitment under the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), Lao PDR's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) (2016-25), (...) provides broad recommendations to contribute to global, and achieve national, biodiversity targets. The 2016 National Agro-Biodiversity Programme and Action Plan II (NABP II 2015-25) supports three major development goals: achieving food security; reducing poverty; and enhancing government capacity to ensure the sustainable management and use of natural resources. It acts as a framework for a coordinated, multi-sector approach to better manage, utilize and conserve agro-biodiversity in order to support the three aforementioned goals. It is to improve the conservation and utilization of agro bio diversity (ABD), which is to be measured through five indicators: national on-farm genetic diversity, ABD-related green value chains, increasing the export of ABD products, increasing the use of endemic plant and animal genetic materials in national breeding programmes, and breeding climate resilient crop/animal varieties.

An environmental management system to supervise, monitor, control and inspect processes including to control and limit pollution, emissions in the processes to ensure the performance with standards and the laws and regulations related to the environment. (...)

Since 2005, a Rural Electricity Fund (REF), designed on a revolving capital principle with funding support from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), has been in place to enable larger uptake of renewable energies for off-grid electrification. In practice, until 2015, the REF was mainly limited to supporting solar home-based solutions. A REF hire-purchase scheme, administered by the IREP and involving an upfront installation fee and then monthly payments to repay the balance within between five and ten years, made solar home systems (SHSs) affordable for rural households.

According to the 8th National Socio-economic Development Plan (NSEDP) (Section 2.2.2), the authorities envisage real average annual GDP growth of 7.5% during FY 2016/20. (…) Inclusive growth is also one of the main goals of the 8th NSEDP, which explicitly integrated the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with specific targets set by the National Assembly for spending on health and education in 2018. (…)