Developing "green" Thai Nguyen

Developing a digital, green, and circular economy is a trend that Thai Nguyen province is focusing resources on. During the working trip to Korea at the end of 2024, the provincial departments and branches signed agreements with many partners to strengthen cooperation in attracting foreign investment in the fields of circular economy, green transformation projects, and carbon finance towards the development of a "green" Thai Nguyen.

The Department of Industry and Trade trains businesses and cooperatives on building booths on digital platforms.

Digital economy creates breakthrough platform

Identifying digital transformation (DT) as an inevitable trend and one of the important indicators, contributing to the shift of the economic development model to green growth, in Resolution No. 01-NQ/TU on DT, Thai Nguyen sets the goal that by 2025, the digital economy (DECO) will account for at least 20% of the province's GRDP; striving for the whole province to have 700 digital enterprises (DN). To realize these goals, the Provincial People's Committee directs departments, branches, and localities to step up support for enterprises and cooperatives (Cooperatives) in DT.

Participating in the training course on digital business skills, brand development, and livestreaming organized by the Department of Industry and Trade in July 2024, Ms. Hoang Thi Tan, Director of Tam Tra Thai Cooperative, excitedly said: I have been livestreaming to sell products for quite a long time. But because I studied online by myself, the method was not systematic. Through this training course, I grasped the method of online sales, building booths on digital platforms. From there, it helped the Cooperative increase opportunities for trade connections and promote product consumption.

Along with Resolution No. 01-NQ/TU, the Provincial People's Committee issued a Project to support small and medium enterprises. Departments, branches, sectors and localities have promoted administrative reform, supporting enterprises to develop digital technology , digital content, creative industries, e-commerce, smart manufacturing, etc.

Accompanying businesses, the Department of Information and Communications has supported 546 businesses, cooperatives, and business households to experience and use digital platforms such as: Unified Enterprise Management; accounting software for small and medium enterprises; electronic invoice software; digital signature services; restaurant and store management software, with more than 4,100 software installations/copyrights... Training courses and training programs are all conducted free of charge.

Mr. Do Xuan Hoa, Director of Thai Nguyen Department of Information and Communications: The People's Committee is focusing on directing the acceleration of the implementation of Yen Binh Concentrated Information Technology Park to attract investment enterprises, creating a breakthrough in the development of the province's digital economy.

There are currently 324 digital technology enterprises in Thai Nguyen province. According to the General Statistics Office, the proportion of added value of digital technology in the province's GRDP in 2023 is 31.4%, ranking 3rd out of 61 provinces and cities nationwide. The total digital technology revenue in the province is estimated to be 711.6 trillion VND in 2024, up 7% over the same period.

Yen Binh Industrial Park Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Green journey, circular economy

Currently, the whole province has nearly 11,000 enterprises. In the province's development strategy, Thai Nguyen prioritizes selective attraction to select large-scale projects, using clean, advanced technology, and products with high production value to prioritize investment licensing in industrial parks and clusters.

To address the impacts of climate change, Thai Nguyen has proactively seized the opportunities of the low-carbon transition. The Provincial People's Committee has issued the Green Growth Action Plan for the 2021-2030 period.

The province has cooperated with Saigontel to carry out a number of key tasks according to the goal of green growth and sustainable development. In the period of 2023-2030, Saigontel will research and support the province to identify and select policies and funding strategies focusing on significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in the province.

In the province’s green transformation journey, businesses have actively contributed. A typical example of this work is TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company. Currently, TNG is focusing on innovation in implementing projects to approach the United Nations’ sustainable development standards.

TNG Vo Nhai is the first factory in the province to meet LEED standards.

TNG's factories in Vo Nhai, Dong Hy districts, and Son Cam industrial cluster are built and operated towards comprehensive sustainable development in terms of economy and environment. The auxiliary factory in Song Cong city is certified with Silver Lotus, and the Vo Nhai green factory meets LEED standards.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thoi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TNG, said: TNG factories all use calculation simulation software in design to minimize energy consumption. The company has selected suitable, environmentally friendly materials. Regarding technology investment, TNG pays special attention to equipping modern machinery and equipment systems, ensuring fuel economy, while increasing the use of products with low VOC and Formaldehyde content to ensure the health of workers.

During the production process, TNG uses electric furnaces to reduce CO2 emissions each year. In particular, TNG builds a roadmap to use 100% renewable energy, using recycled raw materials to minimize resource exploitation and environmental pollution. By applying the circular economic model, TNG has minimized environmental impacts and balanced the ecosystem.

With the above strategy, TNG has been chosen as a trusted partner by branded customers and major retailers in the world such as: Decathlon, Columbia, TCP, Nike, Adidas, SportMaster, Tomtailor, Comtextile...

Along with the efforts of enterprises, the Provincial People's Committee has strengthened cooperation with Korean and Dutch partners to accelerate the greening of the economy. At a recent working session at the Korea Testing and Research Institute (KTR), Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Huy Dung emphasized: Green transformation projects and carbon finance towards the development of a "green" Thai Nguyen are one of the province's focuses. Thai Nguyen not only demonstrates its commitment to the domestic and foreign business community, but also contributes its responsibility to the future and the Government's Net Zero goal by 2050.

Here, the leaders of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and KTR signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in implementing green transformation projects, carbon finance towards the development of a “green” Thai Nguyen; forming a Carbon Trading Research Center in Thai Nguyen. The expected research investment capital is about 1-2 million USD; KTR plans to start implementation in early 2025.

In 2024 and 2025, Samsung E&A Co., Ltd. will research the project, planning to invest in the field of circular economic development in industrial parks of Thai Nguyen.

One of the proposed projects is to convert solid waste from Samsung factories in Yen Binh Industrial Park into renewable solid fuel for use as fuel for the steam plant.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202501/phat-trien-thai-nguyen-xanh-20f06fc/