Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and VCCI President Pham Tan Cong award the most sustainable companies of 2024

The ceremony welcomed Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Vice Chairman of the National Council for Sustainable Development, and key leaders from ministries, agencies, and the business community. Aligning with the government’s directive to honor enterprises excelling in sustainable production and business practices, VCCI spearheaded the CSI 2024 program in close collaboration with the Central Economic Commission, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

CSI 2024 - Leading businesses in sustainable transformation

In his opening remarks, Pham Tan Cong, VCCI President and Head of the CSI 2024 Steering Committee, emphasized: “To seize new opportunities, we must not only drive breakthroughs in development policies and eliminate barriers hindering the business community - the core production force - but also foster a paradigm shift in business strategy. This includes harnessing internal strengths, embracing innovation, and advancing humane, creative, and sustainable business models that contribute to societal progress, economic prosperity, and the well-being of the people.”

The decade-long results of the CSI program demonstrate that businesses committed to sustainable production and operational models are better equipped to enhance resilience, overcome challenges, and capitalize on opportunities arising from green and digital transformations, Cong said.

Top 10 sustainable companies honored in the trade-service sector

In 2024, the CSI program attracted nearly 500 enterprises nationwide, representing different types and sizes. The Organizing Committee conducted a preliminary screening, selecting 142 applications for official evaluation. The program saw strong growth in participation from domestic enterprises and first-time applicants, increasing to 62% and 35%, respectively, compared to the past three years. This rise reflects a growing awareness and commitment among Vietnamese businesses to embrace transformation and adopt sustainable business practices.

The most notable improvement in the CSI 2024 program is the introduction of industry-specific categorization for candidate companies into three groups: manufacturing, trade-service, and mixed (a combination of both). It adjusts the weighting of economic, environmental, and social criteria to align with the distinct characteristics and activities of each sector. By tailoring the evaluation framework, the program ensures fair and equitable scoring for all participants.

The CSI 2024 program also reflects updates aligned with international commitments and significant changes in the domestic legal framework. The 153 indicators in the program comprise 62% compliance indicators and 38% advanced indicators, enabling a comprehensive evaluation across economic performance, environmental, social, and governance (ESG). The emphasis on compliance indicators highlights that sustainable development is neither distant nor overly complex for businesses. By adhering to legal requirements, enterprises establish a robust foundation for long-term sustainability.

The CSI 2024 features the highest number of quantified indicators in the program’s nine-year journey, requiring businesses to implement a system for monitoring and calculating key data, addressing sustainability topics such as "net revenue from activities with significant climate impacts" and "operating or investment costs allocated to sustainable development initiatives." This not only drives companies to invest in research and data systems but also encourages a review of all operations, and resource allocation for sustainability.

The CSI 2024 ceremony recognizes the top 100 sustainable businesses across the production, trade, and service sectors

Honoring 100 sustainable businesses in production and trade-services

The CSI 2024 ceremony recognized top 100 sustainable businesses across the production and trade-service sectors. Notably, the top 10 in these categories comprised an equal mix of 50% domestic and 50% foreign-invested enterprises, underscoring great progress by domestic businesses. This progress demonstrates that sustainable development is no longer exclusive to FDI enterprises with established governance frameworks. Beyond the primary recognition of most sustainable enterprises, the program also highlighted trailblazers in two thematic areas: excelling in circular economy practices and greenhouse gas reduction, and fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive values within their operations.

Also at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice President of VCCI, Chairman of VBCSD, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee of the CSI 2024 Program, once again emphasized the important role of enhancing sustainable corporate governance capacity aligned with the ESG pillars, which strengthens "internal resilience" and enables enterprises to integrate sustainable development strategies into their core production and business operations. This approach enhances competitiveness and adaptability in today’s environment. He said that applying the CSI effectively supports sustainable corporate governance and reaffirmed VCCI's commitment to expanding the index in the domestic business community. He also urged to promote the activities of the "CSI Club," a new platform for businesses recognized in the CSI program over the years to collaborate and innovate in sustainability practices.

Top 5 pioneering companies honored for adopting and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion values

He also said that just before the ceremony, on the morning of November 29, VBCSD-VCCI, in collaboration with Nestlé Vietnam, organized the first activity of the CSI Club. This event focused on the "Carbon Credit Offset Exchange Mechanism in Vietnam and the Roadmap toward Net Zero 2050." "By continuously innovating to deliver new added value in each initiative, the recognition and support from the business community drive us to persist in promoting sustainable and responsible business practices, while also strengthening and advancing the CSI program in the future," Vinh said.

The CSI 2024 program is supported by key partners, including Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd., Coca-Cola Vietnam Beverages Co., Ltd., British American Tobacco Vietnam (BAT), Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Sabeco), along with many other partners and members of VBCSD.