Green Industry Forum 2025: Harmonizing high growth and sustainable development goals

(Chinhphu.vn) - In the context of the global supply chain shifting towards green - clean - circular, Vietnam is facing the imperative need to reshape its industrial development strategy. Studies show that green industrial parks can help increase labor productivity by 15% - 25% thanks to the application of high technology, improving the working environment and attracting quality human resources. At the same time, this is a prerequisite for Vietnamese enterprises to continue participating in the global value chain.

Discussion session "Harmonizing high growth and sustainable development goals".

On July 9, in Hanoi, Vietnam Economic Times - VnEconomy Magazine organized the Green Industry Forum 2025 with the theme "Harmonizing high growth goals and sustainable development".

After more than three decades of industrialization, Vietnam has achieved impressive economic growth, with industry contributing about 35% of GDP and becoming the main driver of employment. However, this rapid development has also posed serious challenges in terms of environment and resource use.

Notably, while areas such as green energy and transport have begun to receive strong investment, green industry - which is the pillar of national production - has not yet been properly placed in the national strategy on green growth and the Net Zero commitment by 2050.

In the context of the fluctuating world economy, the trend of green and sustainable transformation is also undergoing unpredictable changes. In addition to the green growth target towards Net Zero by 2050, Vietnam has also set a double-digit growth target in 2025 and the following years.

To avoid missing out on this opportunity, Vietnam needs to strongly restructure its industrial sector towards sustainability. Investing in green industry is not just an option, but a mandatory requirement if Vietnam wants to maintain rapid growth and maintain its position in the Net Zero era.

The Green Industry Forum 2025 is organized with four main objectives: Redefining the concept of green growth in industry, clarifying how to apply sustainable development principles to Vietnam's industrial production practices; In-depth analysis of conflicts and potential for harmony between high growth targets and sustainable development requirements, thereby finding a balanced path suitable to Vietnam's actual conditions; Proposing specific and feasible sustainable growth models for Vietnam's processing and manufacturing industry in the new period - In which the model of new generation industrial parks is emerging as the most ideal circular infrastructure; Promoting close links between the Government , businesses, experts and international organizations to promote green industrial transformation in a practical and effective manner.

The Forum affirmed the view that Vietnam needs an industrial development strategy that ensures high growth rates while complying with increasingly stringent sustainability standards. The solution is not a trade-off but a compromise - by applying green technology, optimizing resource use, innovating production models and building an effective industrial waste collection and recycling system.

In particular, the Forum will discuss redefining the concept of "sustainable development" according to a new approach that accepts the use of resources at an optimal, efficient and responsible level, linked to market mechanisms and creating room for long-term development.

The forum gathered more than 20 speakers representing the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance; Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV); industry associations and leading enterprises such as: AMATA, KN Group, Panasonic, CNCTech, Garment 10 Corporation, Vietnam Steel Corporation, VietCycle, VERTZERO, JAPI Food...

Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung - Chief Economist of ADB in Vietnam shared at the Forum

Presenting a report on green growth, a no-trade-off approach at the Forum "Green Industry: Harmonizing high growth and sustainable development goals", Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung - ADB Chief Economist in Vietnam, shared: "We are living in an "age of growth". Green growth and sustainable growth are a great opportunity in that era. However, it is important to clearly understand how this opportunity is shaping up, as well as the challenges and risks that come with it."

According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung, international experience shows that many countries have achieved the target of economic growth while reducing emissions. This proves that achieving high growth and reducing emissions is not impossible.

The question is: Is Vietnam determined to join this trend? "I think that with the Government issuing the National Strategy on Green Growth, in terms of policy, we have clearly expressed our desire. However, to realize this desire, Vietnam needs to invest in green technology, transform its business model and adjust the growth model of the entire economy, from the enterprise level to the macro level," Mr. Hung stated his opinion.

To build an ecological industrial park, according to Mr. Do Quang Hung, First Deputy General Director of the Japanese Industrial Park - Hai Phong, many criteria are needed, including circulation, industrial symbiosis... Therefore, Mr. Hung believes that policies need to be synchronous, attractive, and encourage industrial parks to register to participate in building ecological industrial parks.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Nga - Deputy General Director of CNCTech Group, Deputy General Director of CNCTech Industrial Business said that more than 70% of CNCTech Group's partners are demanding markets with strict requirements on green standards, so this is a mandatory and vital requirement for CNCTech Group to affirm its position in the global supply chain.

According to Ms. Phuong Nga, green transformation is a prerequisite to attract high-quality investors from Europe and America, welcoming "eagles to nest". Therefore, there must be a smart green industrial park, a comprehensive ecological environment. The economic problem put on the scale is whether green growth has a direct impact on the business's steps or not. From the experience of CNCTech Group, the company invests systematically in technology and infrastructure from the beginning and has a long-term, long-term vision to save production costs later as well as meet the standards of partners.

"We see that green transformation is no longer about environmental responsibility but about asserting position in the global supply chain," said Ms. Nga.

Dr. Bui Thanh Minh, Deputy Director of Department IV of the Prime Minister's Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform, said that the lesson for Vietnam in developing a smart and sustainable industry is to have a consistent national industrial strategy, develop domestic enterprise capacity, develop an industrial ecosystem and industrial policy in the digital age.

Diep Anh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/dien-dan-cong-nghiep-xanh-2025-hai-hoa-muc-tieu-tang-truong-cao-va-phat-trien-ben-vung-102250709184609523.htm