The female CEO's pioneering journey to promote the development of green buildings has reached a new milestone after she was honoured as the only Vietnamese representative to win at the 2022 Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards with the 'Women in Green Building Leadership Award', a prestigious distinction bestowed by the World Green Building Council (WGBC).

CEO Luu Thi Thanh Mau (middle) with leaders of the WGBC at the awards ceremony

Mau's green-building journey officially started when she established Phuc Khang Corporation in 2009.

Defining the mission of the corporation as pioneering and promoting the creation of a better lifestyle for public health and a sustainable human and ecological environment according to global green standards, Mau aspired to create fresh, happy and sustainable green living spaces for subsequent generations.

In 2015, carrying a desire to elevate Vietnamese real estate and promote green building as standard in Vietnam, Mau went to Japan on a journey of self-improvement and learning, and to seek investment promotion opportunities. Through perseverance and serious-mindedness, Mau fostered a cooperative relationship with the leading corporation specialising in global multi-industry business in Japan – the prestigious Mitsubishi Corporation.

In 2017, Phuc Khang Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation held a ceremony to announce their strategic cooperation, establishing Phuc Khang Mitsubishi Corporation Holding (PKMC). Of this, Mitsubishi Corporation holds 49 and Phuc Khang Corporation holds 51 per cent.

This million-dollar handshake developed the Diamond Lotus product line, the first high-rise apartment project in Vietnam which was built, managed, and operated according to LEED standards.

From that time, a range of green buildings have seen investment from Phuc Khang, such as Diamond Lotus Riverside high-rise apartments and the Lang Sen Vietnam Culture, Commerce, and Tourism Urban Area.

Diamond Lotus Riverside is the first green building invested and built according to the Gold level in two standards: LEED of the American Green Building Council and LOTUS of the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC).

By strictly following the principles of ensuring health and comfort according to green building standards, Diamond Lotus Riverside has recorded positive results in the conservation of electricity and water. Specifically, the electric energy consumption index decreased by over 50 per cent and the water use index decreased by around 40 per cent compared to the base level.

In October 2021, Diamond Lotus Riverside was awarded certification from LOTUS Provisional by the VGBC and is on the way to reaching the Gold level at full certification stage. It was also voted one of the top five best smart Green Building projects in 2021 in March last year.

The project was selected as one of two exemplary projects for more than 60 guests representing ministries, agencies, businesses, and others for Vietnam Green Building Week 2022 last October.

Most recently, on December 15, the Diamond Lotus Riverside was honoured by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry as "A worthy project to live in", and "The developer of worthy living project" for 2022.

Diamond Lotus Riverside – a green building project developed by Phuc Khang Corporation

The Lang Sen Vietnam Culture, Commerce, and Tourism Urban Area was designed as a “second home next to Ho Chi Minh City” with the highlight being the Tre Viet Convention Centre, the largest bamboo house in Vietnam, and the recently recipient of the LOTUS SB-level Gold certification from the VGBC. The project is a green city inspired by a number of core cultural values through connecting the generations.

Appearing in many forums and seminars, Mau always inspires as she spreads and promotes the green lifestyle and environmental awareness to the community through positive images of diverse ecosystems and the fulfilling life on offer available to her residents.

Mau has repeatedly commented that green buildings will continue to be the means for Phuc Khang Corporation to make quality products in line with global trends as it aims to spread the green-living spirit to everyone, and contribute to sustainable development throughout the country.

Pioneering and promoting

Not only a business operator, Mau also pays attention to preserving national cultural values, contributing to the development of the community.

Mau expressed her burning desire to not only make green buildings but also create green communities and urban areas, thereby developing a sustainable green future. "Building a green district, a green city, then many green cities, we will have a green Vietnam,” she said.

In addition to the main role as general director of Phuc Khang Corporation, Mau also holds a number of positions at other associations such as vice president of the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and vice president of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association, among others.

In each role, Mau makes an active and dedicated contribution to the promotion of green architecture nationally and internationally, and towards addressing global environmental issues to achieving sustainable development goals. In November, Mau was honoured to meet with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association. At the meeting, Mau had enthusiastic and practical recommendations concerning green buildings and green finance in line with the national sustainability strategy.

Mau delivers a speech at the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association

Meanwhile, according to Mau, responsibility for the community is one of the core aims of the company's sustainable development strategy.

During more than 13 years of development, Phuc Khang Corporation has implemented corporate social responsibility (CSR) for its short and long-term programmes.

Specifically, Mau initiated and promptly launched the "Volunteer Green Heart" campaign during the recent pandemic. Upholding the message of "Giving with love" and "Giving responsibly", Mau led her staff to deploy a series of activities to accompany the government, frontline forces, and people to get through the difficult times.

Within a few months, the corporation had donated medical equipment packages worth VND20 billion ($850,000) to frontline hospitals, sponsored more than 11,000 gifts for disadvantaged people, and provided over 20,000 meals. In addition, together with the Women's Union and Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, the company distributed much-needed medication and hundreds of scholarships to students affected by COVID-19.

Throughout 2022, Phuc Khang Corporation continued to implement several strategies to accompany social enterprises and prestigious universities. Methodical and comprehensive CSR programmes have helped it further improve in this area as it aspires to promote the humane values of equality and the effective use of social resources, along with creating the sustainable developments of the future.

With contributions to the field of green buildings and developing sustainable business strategies that promote social responsibility, Phuc Khang Corporation was honoured as a Top 10 sustainable enterprise for 2022 in the trade and services sector in December. It was the second consecutive year that Phuc Khang Corporation has been honoured as one of the top 10 enterprises that meet the 130 rigorous criteria in the Corporate Sustainability Index.

"I am delighted to see my 'green seeds' have now grown and spread their value," Mau said. "Together, we promote green messages to ensure good value. Together, we create humane values and contribute better things for the community."

Joy Esther Gai
Head, Asia-Pacific Programmes
WGBC Singapore

For the 2022 award, we feel proud of all three candidates. Each person represents a unique and outstanding quality. Each one is truly a leader in this field. They all do an outstanding job, pioneering and contributing to the future of green buildings.

Among those, Luu Thi Thanh Mau is an inspirational woman. There are many special things about Mau such as her fast and constant learning, richness of knowledge, creativity, and her application of best practices to her projects. We are proud of Mau for her efforts and her contributions to the greening of Vietnam.

Victoria Kate Burrows
Director, Advancing Net Zero
WGBC France

I am very pleased to have selected Luu Thi Thanh Mau, a pioneering Vietnamese businesswoman and promoter of green building developments. This award emphasises the role of women in the green building sector. I congratulate Mau for her great efforts, in particular, renovating older buildings that were designed and built in the past and now need to meet new standards on emission reduction, energy conservation, and environmental protection.

I am delighted to see the push to develop green buildings in Vietnam and note it is now much more progressive than it used to be. Moving forward, there are different thoughts on the process of designing and constructing buildings such as using sustainable materials and creating healthier, and more energy-efficient buildings for the future.