Ho Chi Minh City is about to have its first ecological industrial park.

The above information was shared by Mr. Vo Thanh Phong, Deputy Head of the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones (HEPZA) at the CEO Discussion Program with the topic "Investment orientation and sustainable development in industrial zones" recently organized by the Finance - Investment Newspaper, Vietnam Industrial Real Estate Association, Thanh Binh Phu My Joint Stock Company and NS BlueScope Vietnam at Phu My 3 Industrial Park (IP) recently.

Mr. Vo Thanh Phong, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA) shared at the seminar. (Photo: Le Toan)

According to Mr. Phong, Decree No. 35/2022/ND-CP (Decree 35) stipulates that an eco-industrial park is an industrial park in which enterprises participate in cleaner production activities, use resources efficiently, have links and cooperate to implement industrial symbiosis models, and meet the criteria in the decree. To specify, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (now the Ministry of Finance ) issued Circular No. 05/2025/TT-BKHDT (Circular 05) to provide detailed guidance on each criterion in early 2025.

In recent times, HEPZA has implemented many solutions to promote green, clean production conversion, sustainable development for infrastructure investors and enterprises in EPZs and industrial parks. At the same time, it has coordinated with organizations such as JICA, UNIDO, World Bank, etc. to research, evaluate, and select directions in implementing the conversion of existing IPs/EPZs towards ecological and smart in the city.

One of those programs is the project "Technical support for the construction of model industrial parks/smart industrial parks with ecological orientation and application of information technology in the management and operation of industrial parks in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province" funded by JICA, Japan and will be completed within 4 years, ending at the end of 2027.

The project is currently being piloted at Phu My 3 Industrial Park and Phu My 2 Industrial Park. The results show that Phu Huu 3 Industrial Park has basically met all 21 criteria. HEPZA is submitting to the Ministries and branches to advise the City in November 2025 to recognize the first ecological industrial park in the area and also one of the first in Vietnam.

Providing more information on this content, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thao Nhi, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Thanh Binh Phu My Joint Stock Company (investor of Phu My 3 Industrial Park) said that meeting the 21 criteria of the ecological industrial park model is not easy. This is a combination of the correct initial orientation, the efforts of the infrastructure investor and the companionship of businesses operating within the zone that must also transform towards green.

Phu My 3 Specialized Industrial Park will be the first ecological industrial park in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Le Toan)

According to Ms. Nhi, more than 10 years ago, the area where the Phu My 3 specialized industrial park project was implemented was the downstream area, and the enterprise was researched by the old Ba Ria - Vung Tau province in coordination with Mitsubishi experts to attract the supply chain from Japan.

The project is planned based on the orientation of attracting heavy industries, raw material production industries and basic industries. In line with the advantages of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, which are deep-water ports, petrochemical zones, and supporting industrial ecosystems. The goal is to provide a chain of raw materials for major industrial centers in the Southern region such as Dong Nai and Binh Duong , thereby increasing the localization rate.

At that time, the discharge standard only needed to reach level B. But the enterprise determined that it had to upgrade from standard B to standard A, even though there was no mandatory requirement. At that time, many management agencies and ministries also asked the question: if we upgrade to standard A, while the surrounding industrial zones only handle according to standard B, our environmental costs will be higher, so how can we compete?

“We still have the responsibility to attract businesses and create cost advantages. That is a very difficult problem, but we choose sustainable development and clearly identify the target investor segment. If at that time we did not aim for industrial symbiosis and did not invest in upgrading from B to A, then today we certainly could not achieve the ecological industrial park model. And if we start converting now, it will be extremely difficult - because the entire factory, wastewater treatment system, technical infrastructure, etc. are all operating according to old standards,” said Ms. Nhi.

According to Ms. Nhi, for an industrial park to truly become “green” and “ecological”, the first foundation must be sustainable development, including the environment, community and transparent governance according to ESG principles. This is not a slogan, but an operating system that must be prepared very early and maintained continuously.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tphcm-sap-co-khu-cong-nghiep-sinh-thai-dau-tien-d434737.html