The Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum 2020, with the theme “Sustainable development in the new decade: Turning Challenges into Opportunities”, took place in Hanoi on December 10.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the event

The forum was co-organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD).

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that, over the next decade, Vietnam will strive to further fulfil the remaining two of the 19 UN sustainable development goals. The country now ranks 88th out of 193 UN member states, with 17 out of 19 criteria being met, he said.

The Deputy PM noted, however, that Vietnam is now home to 700,000 enterprises but not many are VBCSD members. Few enterprises have registered to implement the Corporate Sustainability Index, he said, urging actions to spread the values of sustainable development.

Economist Nguyen Dinh Cung, member of the Consulting Group of the National Council on Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement, said that creating a sustainable business community needs the involvement of the entire political system and major businesses leading the value chain should be the pioneers.

In the next decade, VCCI President Vu Tien Loc suggested, Vietnam should focus on three strategic breakthroughs: continuing to improve the quality of socialist-oriented market economic mechanisms; fully developing human resources, science-technology, and innovation; and completing modern and synchronous socio-economic infrastructure.

Heineken Vietnam shared its best practice RESOLVE model (Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise, and Exchange) - a circular economy framework using a holistic approach to create sustainable environmental value, such as reducing carbon emissions, protecting water resources, and utilising all resources.

Corporate Affairs Director at Heineken Vietnam Holly Bostock said the company has set ambitious targets to achieve zero waste and use 100% renewable energy by 2025.

On the occasion, Dam presented the Prime Minister’s certificates of merit to representatives from the VBCSD and VCCI standing boards.