Green Economy Forum and Exhibition (GEFE) 2024 features more than 200 booths from 13 countries

Việt Nam - EU: Sôi động hợp tác phát triển kinh tế xanh - Ảnh 1. — The opening session of GEFE 2024 was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai, along with many leaders and senior representatives of the European Union (EU) and European countries on the morning of October 21 - Photo: GEFE

Taking place from October 21 to 23, the Green Economy Forum and Exhibition (GEFE) 2024 includes exhibitions, seminars, and high-level dialogues between businesses to businesses (B2B) and between businesses to governments (B2G), bringing together many experts and partners from sustainable development businesses at home and abroad.

The event attracted more than 200 booths from businesses and organizations from 13 countries, to present and promote products and solutions that meet the goals of circular economy and emission reduction in Vietnam.

Connecting Vietnam - EU businesses

Within the framework of GEFE 2024, the Trade Promotion Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade, in coordination with EuroCham, organized a conference connecting Vietnamese and European businesses with the participation of nearly 80 leading businesses from Vietnam and Europe.

According to Director of the Trade Promotion Agency Vu Ba Phu, implementing trade connection activities and supporting businesses of both sides to seek opportunities for investment, business cooperation and technology transfer is extremely important and needs to be strengthened.

Mr. Phu said that in trade cooperation with the European market (EU), Vietnamese enterprises participate more deeply and widely in the production and supply chain of this market.

Currently, Vietnam has become the country with the largest export market share to the EU among ASEAN countries.

In the first 6 months of 2024, exports from Vietnam to the EU reached 24.7 billion USD, up 15.3% over the same period last year, while imports from the EU reached 7.7 billion USD, up 8.5% over the same period in 2023.

Regarding investment cooperation, the EU is the 6th largest foreign direct investment (FDI) sector in Vietnam with 2,450 projects, with a total accumulated investment capital of more than 28 billion euros. In recent times, although global FDI flows have been declining, EU enterprises have still researched and implemented important investment projects in Vietnam.

Việt Nam - EU: Sôi động hợp tác phát triển kinh tế xanh - Ảnh 2. — Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai and Vice President of the European Commission (EC) Margaritis Schinas (middle) visited booths at GEFE on the morning of October 21 - Photo: NGHI VU

Vibrant green economy

Interested in the topic of circular economy in Vietnam, the Netherlands brings to GEFE 2024 the largest booth with more than 50 businesses specializing in fields such as water management, circular economy, logistics, agriculture...

Appreciating Vietnam's offshore wind power potential, the UK pavilion also has 17 businesses representing energy sectors such as wind power, hydrogen and energy storage.

Expressing their desire to become Vietnam's key strategic partner in the green economic transition, large French enterprises specializing in energy and water resources, along with many other small and medium-sized enterprises, also participated in the roundtable discussion at GEFE this year.

Contributing to the green transition through innovation, Switzerland introduced to the event many businesses with architectural solutions that meet the needs of sustainable and creative infrastructure development in Vietnam such as G8A Architecture & Urban Planning or staBOO. "Together with Swiss companies, we will organize many interesting activities and discussions. I cordially invite you to join me for coffee and to interact with Swiss companies, partners and other visitors", Swiss Ambassador Thomas Gass invited.

According to Mr. Ulrich Weigl, Minister Counsellor, Head of the Trade Section of the European Union Delegation, to achieve the green transition goal, the EC has developed the European Green Deal (EGD) with a comprehensive policy/regulation approach. However, these will be new challenges for Vietnamese export enterprises.