“While the world is committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050, can Ninh Binh become a Net Zero city by 2030?” This was the question posed by Betty Pallard, Director of Vision at ESGs & Climate Consulting, to the leaders of Ninh Binh province.

That question was raised during a recent meeting between the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts Global (AVSE Global) and the leaders of Ninh Binh province.

Betty Pallard, who lived in France and Switzerland for 30 years before returning to Vietnam, said that ESGs & Climate Consulting has conducted over 8,000 ESG reports in Europe, with a main focus on assessing and offsetting carbon emissions, aiming for a carbon-neutral future, especially in tourism, sports , and cultural activities.

These activities account for approximately 20-22% of global carbon emissions, making carbon reduction even more crucial. She recommended that Ninh Binh province redesign its tourism activities to align with Net Zero standards.

"Starting tomorrow, Ninh Binh province could select a tourism product as a pilot project linked to the Net Zero criteria, to calculate how much carbon each tourist emits, and from there determine how long it takes to create a complete Net Zero tourism product," she suggested.

This expert also affirmed that, although Vietnam may still be perceived as a poor country in the eyes of the international community, Vietnam is taking very active steps in carbon reduction.

At that meeting, Mr. Doan Minh Huan, Secretary of the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Committee, stated that, recognizing the potential and advantages of a locality with world cultural and natural heritage, Ninh Binh has focused on development in the direction of "Green, sustainable, and harmonious"; transforming production methods from brown to green; selectively attracting and developing industries in the direction of high technology, modern technology, and environmentally friendly technologies...

However, Ninh Binh needs a more profound and comprehensive transformation; shifting from an economy based on the exploitation of natural resources and raw cultural heritage to an economy focused on science and technology, linked to innovation in culture and art; from shallow international integration to deep international integration...

"Ninh Binh has long relied on its natural and cultural heritage for tourism development, but it has only exploited the raw, unrefined aspects of this heritage. The province's new direction must be green, sustainable, and accessible; considering innovation as a cultural value," said the Ninh Binh Provincial Party Secretary.

According to him, there is a need for innovative tourism products inspired by heritage. For a long time, Ninh Binh has only developed around tourism and has not yet focused on creative cultural industries.

Ninh Binh's determination is clearly demonstrated in the Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, recently approved by the Prime Minister, which clearly identifies cultural industries and tourism as key sectors. The goal is to become a centrally-governed city by 2035, characterized as a millennium heritage city and a creative city.

According to Professor Nguyen Duc Khuong, Chairman of AVSE Global, with such a direction, Ninh Binh will certainly be a model for sustainable and responsible development. He also suggested some topics revolving around the story of transforming production methods from brown to green, the story of digital transformation, the transformation of social models, and the transformation of demographic models...

Contributing ideas to building a brand for Ninh Binh tourism, branding expert Tran Tue Tri observed that Hoa Lu - Ninh Binh, with its rich history, culture, and the Trang An World Heritage Site, possesses all these elements that combine to make Ninh Binh not just a "beautiful girl" but also one with depth and rich culture.

But how can we exploit it in terms of quality rather than quantity? Ms. Tran Tue Tri suggested that the province could refer to the model of Kyoto (Japan), a city with a rich history and also very beautiful.

"Only by daring to compare ourselves to a higher standard can we truly reach further," Ms. Tri said. "I think Ninh Binh can completely change the perception of Vietnamese tourism, showing that it's not just about cheap prices, but about creating a tourism experience that is intrinsically linked to the cultural and historical values ​​of this land."

Ninh Binh can tell the story of sustainable natural heritage development to the world. Developed countries do this very well, but not many developing countries are able to do it, Ms. Tri shared.