Standards – the “common language” of green transition and sustainable development.

In Vietnam, alongside major resolutions and strategies on climate change, green growth, energy planning, smart cities, and digital transformation, the National Standards (TCVN) system is gradually building the technical foundation for a green, low-emission, and sustainable economy .

Over the past decade, the Party and State have issued numerous policies and guidelines that have shaped Vietnam's green transformation process, such as Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW on proactively responding to climate change, strengthening resource management and environmental protection; the National Strategy on Green Growth for the period 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, as per Decision No. 1658/QĐ-TTg; the commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 at COP26; and a series of major programs and projects on smart cities, national digital transformation, and energy master planning.

Against this policy backdrop, standards have emerged as a key technical tool. Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN) help to concretize the goals, targets, and requirements of the policy into measurable and assessable regulations; create a "common language" between management agencies, businesses, assessment organizations, and consumers on environmental, energy, emission, and circular economy issues; and support the transition of production and consumption models towards greener, cleaner, and more resource-efficient approaches.

Standards not only serve as technical guidelines for the legal framework but are increasingly being used as direct tools to support policy planning, from energy labeling and green public procurement to carbon market mechanism design and smart city and sustainable city indicators.

Tiêu chuẩn – “ngôn ngữ chung” của chuyển đổi xanh và phát triển bền vững- Ảnh 1.

To date, Vietnam has developed over 14,200 Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN), with a harmonization rate with international standards reaching approximately 63%, covering almost all socio-economic sectors. About 400 of these directly relate to green growth, green transition, and sustainable development, spanning areas such as environmental management, greenhouse gas inventory and emission reduction; energy efficiency; renewable energy development including wind power, solar power, battery storage, and fuel cells; sustainable agriculture and organic production; circular economy and recycling; smart cities and clean transportation; and future green fuels. Most of these standards are developed in harmony with international and regional standards, meeting both domestic management requirements and facilitating businesses' deeper participation in global value chains, minimizing technical barriers to trade.

Within the group of standards on environmental management and greenhouse gases, nearly 30 Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN) on environmental management, 13 TCVN on greenhouse gases, and nearly 30 TCVN on water and waste treatment and reuse were developed based on the ISO 14000, ISO 14064, and ISO 46001 standards.

These standards lay the foundation for environmental management systems at the enterprise and local levels, support greenhouse gas inventory and emission reduction, provide a technical basis for carbon markets and access to green finance, thereby connecting national Net Zero targets with practical action at individual production facilities.

In the field of energy efficiency, more than 40 Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN), including 37 standards on energy efficiency for household, commercial, and industrial equipment, along with the ISO 50001 standard on energy management systems, have shaped the management framework and promoted the transition of equipment to energy-saving technologies. These standards support energy labeling policies, phase-out of obsolete equipment, and help reduce emission intensity without hindering growth.

Renewable energy is also a field with a rapid rate of standardization. Vietnam has issued 34 Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN) on wind power, 40 on solar power, 18 on battery storage, and 7 on fuel cells, most of which are harmonized with IEC 61400, IEC 62933, and many other international standards.

These standards provide a safety framework and quality assessment for equipment, requirements for connecting and operating renewable energy sources into the grid, and the technical foundation for the energy transition process as outlined in the National Energy Master Plan.

In agriculture, the standards for organic farming (TCVN 11041), VietGAP for crop cultivation, livestock farming, and aquaculture, along with the system of standards on food safety and traceability, have contributed to reducing the use of harmful chemicals, protecting resources and biodiversity, while improving the quality of agricultural products and expanding export opportunities. This is an important foundation for the transition to ecological and circular agriculture – one of the three strategic pillars of Vietnam's agricultural development.

The circular economy is also supported by the Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN) on green packaging design, labeling, recycling, and waste management. In addition, standards on product lifecycle assessment, eco-design, recycled materials, and the reuse of industrial waste help businesses transition to a circular production model, reduce emissions, and optimize costs.

In the field of smart cities, by August 2025, 32 Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN) had been published, compatible with many international standards such as ISO 37120, ISO 37122, ISO 37123, and ISO 37106.

These standards provide a set of indicators for evaluating smart and sustainable cities, supporting the planning and management of infrastructure, transportation, energy, and the environment, ensuring the connection between the goals of "smart," "green," and "sustainable."

With green transportation, the Vietnamese national standards (TCVN) for electric vehicles, batteries, and charging stations are creating the technical foundation for the electrification of transportation. Vietnam is also gradually approaching and harmonizing standards for hydrogen and new green fuels in line with ISO/TC197 and IEC TC105, preparing for deeper emission reduction phases in the future.

Overall, the Vietnamese National Standards (TCVN) system is making a practical contribution to green growth by reducing energy costs, increasing productivity, expanding export markets, supporting businesses in technological innovation, and raising public awareness of sustainable consumption. However, with the rapid development of new fields such as green fuels, advanced circular economy, smart cities deeply integrated with digital technology , carbon markets, and environmental data management, standardization still faces many challenges, from standards gaps to limitations in resources, testing capacity, and access to standards for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In the coming period, the development of a national standards system serving green transformation needs to be implemented in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary manner, ensuring consistency between standards, measurements, and conformity assessment. Priority should be given to strategic areas such as new energy, recycled materials, carbon management, green transportation, smart cities, and the circular economy; while promoting international cooperation to harmonize standards and shorten implementation time. Strengthening the capacity of technical committees, investing in testing infrastructure, and supporting businesses in adopting standards are crucial solutions to enhance competitiveness.

Standards are not just "technical barriers," but more importantly, they are the "technical runway" for Vietnam to take off on a green growth trajectory, realize its Net Zero commitment, and affirm its position in the global green, clean, and sustainable value chain.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/tieu-chuan-ngon-ngu-chung-cua-chuyen-doi-xanh-va-phat-trien-ben-vung-197251210184154191.htm