Criteria for confirming that an investment project falls under the green classification category.

(Chinhphu.vn) - Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 21/2025/QD-TTg dated July 4, 2025, stipulating environmental criteria and the confirmation of investment projects belonging to the green classification list.

Investment projects that are confirmed to be in the green category must meet two criteria as stipulated in Decision No. 21/2025/QD-TTg.

Environmental criteria for investment projects classified as green projects.

According to regulations, an investment project is considered to be in the green category if it meets the following two criteria:

- There is a decision approving the results of the environmental impact assessment report or an environmental permit or environmental registration in accordance with the law on environmental protection, except for investment projects that are exempt from environmental procedures according to the law.

- It falls within the field of environmental protection or provides environmental benefits and meets the requirements stipulated in Appendix I of Decision No. 21/2025/QD-TTg.

The competent authority confirms that the investment project falls under the green classification category.

The competent agencies and organizations that certify investment projects as belonging to the green classification list include:

1. The competent state agency shall appraise and approve the results of the environmental impact assessment report or issue environmental permits for investment projects in accordance with the law on environmental protection.

2. An independent certification body that fully meets the following requirements:

a) Possesses legal personality as prescribed by law;

b) Having registered their business in Vietnam or being established by a decision of a competent state agency;

c) Belonging to one of the following types: Business providing conformity assessment services or having the function of providing conformity assessment services as prescribed by law; Business providing auditing services;

d) Having a management system and operational capacity that meets one of the following requirements:

National Standard TCVN ISO/IEC 17029:2020 or International Standard ISO/IEC 17029:2019 on conformity assessment - General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies;

Vietnamese Standard 3000 on Assurance Contracts - Assurance Contracts Other Than Auditing and Review of Historic Financial Information, or International Standards on Assurance Services (ISAE 3000), or any amendments, supplements, or replacements issued by competent authorities of Vietnam in accordance with the law.

Regulations on confirming investment projects that fall under the green classification category.

The decision stipulates that the confirmation of investment projects belonging to the green classification category shall be made at the request of the project investor, the issuer of green bonds, and in one of the following forms:

The confirmation from the competent state authority is carried out as follows:

The project investor requests the competent state agency to confirm that the investment project falls under the green classification category simultaneously with the processing of administrative procedures for appraisal and approval of the environmental impact assessment report results or issuance of environmental permits;

The competent state agency responsible for appraising environmental impact assessment reports or issuing environmental permits shall organize the assessment and confirmation of investment projects belonging to the green category during the process of appraising environmental impact assessment reports and considering the issuance of environmental permits. The confirmation results are reflected in the decision approving the results of the environmental impact assessment report appraisal or the environmental permit.

The independent certification process is as follows:

- The project investor or the issuer of green bonds submits a request to an independent certification body to confirm that the investment project falls under the green classification category.

- An independent certification body shall conduct an inspection and review of the dossier to certify that the investment project falls under the green classification category, ensuring independence and objectivity according to the standards or criteria of the independent certification body as stipulated in point d, section 2 above; the certification period and certification fees shall be agreed upon between the independent certification body and the project investor and in accordance with relevant laws;

- Independent certifying organizations are legally responsible to the agencies and organizations implementing the State's preferential policies and support for green credit and green bonds, as well as to relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals, for the results of their certification.

The decree states that the inspection, monitoring, and handling of violations related to the certification of investment projects classified as green projects shall be carried out in accordance with the law on environmental protection and other relevant laws.

Application for confirmation that the investment project is classified as green.

The decision stipulates that in cases where a competent state agency confirms that an investment project falls under the green classification category , the content of the request for confirmation of the investment project's inclusion in the green classification category shall be included in the application for environmental impact assessment report appraisal or the application for environmental permit issuance, including:

- The content of the request for confirmation that the investment project belongs to the green category is shown in the application for assessment of the environmental impact report or issuance of an environmental permit;

- The content of the investment project description that meets environmental criteria includes the contents stipulated in Appendix III issued with Decision No. 21/2025/QD-TTg and is presented as a separate chapter in the environmental impact assessment report or the application for an environmental permit.

In cases where an independent certification body certifies that an investment project falls under the green classification category , the application dossier for confirmation of the investment project's inclusion in the green classification category includes:

- A written request for confirmation that the investment project falls under the green classification category, using the form prescribed in Appendix II issued with Decision No. 21/2025/QĐ-TTg;

- Decision approving the results of the environmental impact assessment report in cases where the investment project is subject to environmental impact assessment, or environmental permit in cases where the investment project is not subject to environmental impact assessment but is subject to environmental permit issuance, or environmental registration in cases where the investment project is subject to environmental registration according to the law on environmental protection;

- A project description report for investment projects classified as green at the time of requesting green credit, issuing green bonds, or requesting preferential policies and support from the State regarding green credit and green bonds, using the form prescribed in Appendix III issued with Decision No. 21/2025/QĐ-TTg.

Phuong Nhi

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/tieu-chi-xac-nhan-du-an-dau-tu-thuoc-danh-muc-phan-loai-xanh-102250704163602584.htm