Tran Hong Ha - Minister of Natural Resources and Environment

Environment and climate issues are always placed at the highest priority position in the agendas of the leaders of the Party, the National Assembly, the government, the country’s development programmes and plans with the highest goals to protect the people’s health, ensure the quality of the living environment, and protect biodiversity and ecosystems.

Building a green economy, circular economy has been incorporated into the Party’s guidelines, and the state’s policies and laws. The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress affirms the policy of “building a green economy, a circular economy, and being friendly to the environment”, and “building a roadmap, mechanisms, policies and laws to operate the circular economy model”.

The transition to a circular economy will initially face certain difficulties in the context of Vietnam’s lack of promotion mechanisms and policies and limited resources and technology for recycling and reuse. However, with the participation of the entire political system, the response of the whole society, in which businesses and people are the driving force, the state plays a constructive role, we can trust that could soon accelerate the transition.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam and a number of international partners, organises the Vietnam Circular Economy Forum 2022 with the theme “Kick-off Conference to Develop the Vietnam National Action Plan towards Circular Economy”.

This is the first step to mobilise initiatives from ministries, sectors, localities, international organisations, research agencies, socio-political organisations, especially the business community and people to build a national action plan to implement Vietnam’s circular economy, with the following groups of tasks and key solutions:

Firstly, we will concretise regulations in the Law on Environmental Protection, especially those on the responsibilities of manufacturers and distributors in the recovery, classification and recycling. It is also necessary to promulgate mechanisms and policies to give incentives and support to promote the environmental industry, including the recycling industry; promote the development of the market to exchange by-products and waste products so that waste and waste become a secondary resource in the closed-loop system of the new production cycle. We will also promulgate criteria on green public procurement, using products derived from recycled materials.

Secondly, there will be a roadmap to replace fuels and products using hazardous materials and single-use products with environmentally friendly fuels and materials, products that use repeatedly, prolonging the useful life of the product. Thirdly, it is needed to develop urban centres, industrial zones, export processing zones, and thermal power centres following a circular model, without emitting waste, emissions and wastewater.

Fourthly, we will also promote cooperation relationships to support businesses to access opportunities to receive financial and technological support for the circular economy.

Fifthly, we will also raise the awareness and the responsibility of the business community and the people about the circular economy, and the responsibility of sorting waste at source for recycling and reuse. It is also necessary to change consumer behaviour towards environmentally friendly products.

Jariya Chirathivat - Chairwoman, Central Retail Vietnam

Some of our environmental protection and sustainable development initiatives have been successfully implemented in Thailand, such as the “Samui Zero Waste” model that aims to tackle environmental problems on Koh Samui as part of its Creating Shared Value programme.

The scope of this model includes initial waste separation at the source to enable benefits from waste, inclusive of creating bio-fertilisers for farmers within the community, and biogas by-products being utilised in schools and colleges.

The success story of this model in Thailand could be used as the learning model for Central Retail in Vietnam to refer to and deploy in Vietnam. This not only conveys the message of sustainable consumption, production, and emissions reduction in our business, but it will also affect end-users and customers.

Implementing this model also helps realise our vision of contributing to Vietnam’s prosperity and enhancing the quality of life. With this model, we hope to help raise consumers’ awareness.

Sirapassorn Sagulwiwat - Assistant vice president of Sustainable Development C.P. Foods

We ensure the application of high technology in production to provide products that are safe, protect the environment, and reduce labour loss. In factories, we use renewable energy and biogas.

The scraps that were just discarded previously are now recycled to bring new value and reduce waste. The waste at the end of one process will be an input for another process, as well as create more jobs for workers and help vulnerable people in society.

C.P. has been taking action to reduce the carbon and plastic footprint, including reducing the use of plastic bags, conducting on-farm studies on waste management, using appropriate cartons, and applying our experience gained elsewhere. Particularly, in order to reduce use of plastic bags, C.P. has made changes in product design, packaging, and raw materials to use decomposing material.

By 2030, all our packaging will be recyclable, reusable, and completely biodegradable – currently, 98 per cent is already recyclable and reusable. The research department is finding a way to realise this goal as soon as possible.

Saroj Chayavivatkul - President, Thai Beverage Can Ltd.

The role of the private sector is very important. Firstly, we need to look at ourselves and need to make sure that we think the same on the circular economy. Second is that we have a network of suppliers and small businesses that we can help understand the concept of a circular economy, and also help them to learn the proper technology.

As a joint venture between Thailand and the US, our company uses tech to make aluminium cans using lighter, and we make sure that we use energy efficiently so that we don’t waste it.

Aluminium cans are good for recycling because we can do so many times and don’t use as much energy. Customers are moving more of the products into aluminium cans, so we have to make sure that we continue to expand and support those customers.

We see many regulations and policies coming out, so our role is to continue to support the government in this journey.

Tharabodee Serng-Adichaiwit - General manager, Bangkok Bank Vietnam branch

The private sector in Vietnam is very active, as can be seen with increased investment in rooftop solar. Renewables have exceeded targets and, now, the share of renewable energy in Vietnam’s energy mix accounts for almost 25 per cent, which is an amazing result.

The most important element for this is the support from the government, coupled with a continuous roadmap and policy guidelines. The private sector will then be able to follow and attain the goal together with the state.

As we are a bank and in the service industry, our contributions are not as large as those of the manufacturing industry. However, that does not mean that we cannot contribute. Whenever we can, we turn off monitors or other electronic devices. And we have also been a key actor in renewable energy investments in Vietnam.

We are serving all Thai groups investing in Vietnam. So far, we have provided substantial financing to eight solar and wind projects across Vietnam delivering a combined capacity of nearly 845MW and reducing more than 460,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

Hoang Duc Vuong - Chairman, Vietcycle Corporation

The management of domestic waste in Vietnam in the past 40 years has not been properly cared for, with scrap taken to craft villages for recycling, causing pollution.

For businesses in this country, investment costs for recycling are very large, making competition with recycling craft villages more difficult.

I think that if there is a good policy, with the joint support of the community and international organisations, the recycling industry of Vietnam will also develop, because this is the path that must be taken if we want to build a circular economy, contribute to the circulation of waste, and save the cost of importing resources from abroad.

Vietcycle has been in the recycling industry for over 20 years, it’s our love and passion. We also participated in the development of the Law on Environmental Protection and in seminars organised by the Government Office so that Vietnam can have a circular economy orientation.

We see the policy is innovative and the vision of the government has changed greatly. We fully believe in the new Law on Environmental Protection, as well as the determination of the government.