Do Ngoc Diep, Vietnam green and resilient building programme lead at IFC

Do Ngoc Diep, Vietnam green and resilient building programme lead at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) said that enterprises' awareness of going green is very complete.

"We choose going green because that is the policy direction. Vietnam is drafting a green classification list. And in fact, all projects that we lend to are also on this list. Soon, commercial banks will also have to retain a significant proportion of green loans in their lending sources", Diep said.

In Thailand, businesses like Frasers, SLP, and many others consider the green needs of customers before they invest in industrial parks (IPs) and want to pursue green transformation to raise competitiveness, Diep added.

The IFC's financial solutions are aimed at customers who need green capital. In developing countries, its loans support businesses in the initial steps of developing green buildings.

"The IFC has enough investors to raise green capital. We can grant green loans to businesses directly or through banks. Our target customers are those implementing green development. We help businesses to build green projects and access green capital," Diep added.

Truong Anh Hai, vice president of Environment, Health, Safety, and Community at NS BlueScope Vietnam

Truong Anh Hai, vice president of Environment, Health, Safety, and Community at NS BlueScope Vietnam, said that the green transformation journey must continue based on customer requirements. For businesses, the integration and inclusion of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements must be carried out right from the start of factory deployment and industrial park operations.

"ESG covers a wide range of issues, including climate change, waste, wastewater, occupational safety and health, and governance. Numerous businesses, including BlueScope, are following ESG criteria, including all labour issues and policies,” said Hai.

Each industry has its own characteristics, so there are different ESG-related issues, and it is impossible to use a set of ESG standards to apply to all industries.

"Implementing such standards is quite difficult because there are more than 370 related requirements in our company. So once these requirements are met, there is still the problem of how to put them into practice," he explained. "We also have to show employees the benefits of green transformation. This is very difficult, but BlueScope is cooperating with employees to make the ESG plan a reality."

In addition to international customers, some of the company's customers in Vietnam now demand green standards related to production. "They want to check the emissions level per ton of steel. Some of them even want to see an ESG report. This is a current trend, and there will be other requirements in the future,” Hai said.

More businesses are carrying out green transformation

Tran Nhat Ninh, deputy general director of engineering, Tien Phong Plastic, said that it has been at the forefront of applying green solutions to move towards carbon neutrality.

Particularly, along with its business goals, Tien Phong Plastic is determined to pursue a green brand for the company's sustainable development strategy. The company applies green standards in production and only uses additives that are safe.

"We have mastered the technology to optimise productivity and pioneer in manufacturing safe, friendly, market-oriented products, serving demand in many fields and opening up many cooperation opportunities with domestic and foreign enterprises", Ninh said.

Tien Phong Plastic works with industrial property developers to build green and sustainable IPs by providing plastic pipes for Shinec's IP and cluster infrastructure projects across the country.

He said that 10 years ago, the company started aiming for green production and sustainable development so it could export to difficult markets such as Australia and Europe.

"Without ESG standards, we would not be able to export our products. Green production and sustainable environmental development is not a one-time issue, and must be carried out by all businesses and the community," Ninh said. "Green and ecological IPs should receive synchronous investment from the beginning. This is why we have been accompanying developers from the design stage to operation to ensure success."