At the Central Coastal Regional Workshop: “Improving the investment and business environment towards green economy and sustainable development”, representatives of the localities all affirmed that “greening” is the priority direction. Local leaders also emphasized that the environment should not be traded for the economy.

Mr. Phan Thai Binh - Permanent Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee affirmed that promoting the investment and business environment towards a green economy and sustainable development has been implemented very early.

According to Mr. Phan Thai Binh - Permanent Vice Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee, the locality's viewpoint on promoting the investment and business environment towards a green economy and sustainable development has been implemented very early, being one of the localities actively and pioneering in implementing the goals of the Prime Minister's National Strategy on Green Growth. Accordingly, the province's goal by 2030 is to have a forest coverage rate of over 61%, the rate of industrial parks and industrial clusters with centralized wastewater treatment systems meeting the requirements of 100% and 100% of industrial clusters not causing environmental pollution. In addition, the rate of production and business establishments meeting environmental standards is 90%; committed to achieving zero net emissions by 2050,... In addition, Quang Nam province has been doing a good job of protecting the environment and responding to climate change. According to Mr. Binh, environmental protection solutions have been implemented synchronously, widely and systematically by Quang Nam province.

“In order to have a shift in investment direction, pioneering the trend of green tourism development, in 2021, Quang Nam issued a Green Tourism Development Plan until 2025 and many policies and guidelines on planning, infrastructure investment, promotion, and building green tourism products. In particular, Quang Nam is the first locality in the country to issue a set of green tourism criteria as a guideline for the Quang Nam tourism industry to move towards a green and sustainable development model. Up to now, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a Decision to recognize the assessment results and grant green tourism certificates to 25 enterprises and tourism units,” said Mr. Binh.

To improve the investment and business environment towards greening, Quang Nam has developed a strategy to selectively attract investment, saying “no” to large-emission production types and projects that pose a risk of environmental pollution. Strictly implement environmental impact assessment and appraisal for investment projects. All projects must ensure environmental legal procedures in accordance with regulations before being granted operating licenses.

Mr. Cao Thanh Thuong - Deputy Head of the Management Board of Binh Dinh Economic Zone informed that the locality determined that economic development must be associated with environmental protection, not trading the environment for economic growth at all costs.

According to the 2023 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and Provincial Green Index (PGI) Annual Report announced by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Quang Nam is in the Top 20 provinces and cities with the highest PGI Provincial Green Index, with a total score of 22.84 points, ranking 16th out of 63 provinces and cities, including the component index "Ensuring compliance with environmental regulations" of Quang Nam province ranked 2nd out of 63 provinces and cities and 1st out of 14 provinces and cities in the Central Coast region.

In the coming time, Quang Nam province will continue to propose a number of solutions to promote economic development in the direction of "greening", sustainable development in the coming time such as perfecting mechanisms and policies such as continuing to integrate and incorporate the contents of green growth, green economy, sustainable development into annual socio-economic development programs and plans. Along with that, continue to restructure the economy, innovate the traditional growth model to green growth, convert the growth model from "brown" to "green" to effectively implement the orientations stated in the Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

At the same time, research breakthrough policies and solutions to increase the attraction of green FDI projects to Quang Nam province. Finally, it is necessary to promote propaganda and raise awareness of the role of green growth as the main driving force for sustainable development, and further promote projects in the form of public-private partnerships (PPP) in green growth, etc.

Mr. Cao Thanh Thuong - Deputy Head of the Management Board of Binh Dinh Economic Zones informed that Binh Dinh currently has 15 industrial parks (IPs) with a total area of nearly 7,000 hectares. Of which, 7 IPs have been put into operation and 2 IPs have been filled, the remaining 3 IPs have completed procedures to submit to the Prime Minister for approval of investment policies, and 5 IPs are newly planned. Binh Dinh province also has Nhon Hoi Economic Zone (EZ) with an area of over 14,300 hectares.

According to Mr. Thuong, enterprises investing in IPs and EZs all enjoy the highest preferential policies of the Central and local governments. In particular, Binh Dinh province also focuses on improving the investment and business environment, reforming administrative procedures, simplifying investment procedures, and connecting investors with the government.

Mr. Truong Van Tien - Director of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Ninh Thuan province said that the locality identified renewable energy as a breakthrough field to focus on directing and operating.

According to this person, the licensing time for investment projects in industrial zones has been shortened to 60 days, and business problems have been resolved as quickly as possible. Nhon Hoi Economic Zone and industrial zones have attracted 400 projects with a total registered investment capital of more than VND150,000 billion. Currently, there are 250 enterprises in operation, creating jobs for 25,000 workers, with export turnover reaching 700 million USD, accounting for more than 40% of the total export turnover of the whole province.

"In the new period, Binh Dinh province determines that economic development must be associated with environmental protection, not trading the environment for economic growth at all costs. However, it is still necessary to solve the problem of socio-economic development, ensuring harmony between economic development and protection of resources and environment, towards sustainable development", said Mr. Thuong.

Therefore, the work of attracting investment, selecting investors, factors of "green" environment, modern technology is always given top priority by the Economic Zone Management Board. In particular, focusing on projects to improve production capacity, advanced technology, use less resources, etc. towards developing modern industrial parks.

According to Mr. Thuong, this is a development trend, despite difficulties and challenges, Binh Dinh always sets the highest development goals in the coming time. Therefore, the locality always sets environmental protection requirements as a binding condition in attracting investment projects in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone and industrial parks. New projects must be regulated to have advanced, environmentally friendly technology to prevent, limit, and control environmental pollution impacts right from the start.

Along with that, it is important to focus on synchronous investment in technical infrastructure in industrial parks to ensure safety and continuous monitoring of environmental issues. Improve the quality of appraisal of investment project dossiers, consider reasonable arrangement of factory areas, production, waste according to regulations.

"Accompany and support secondary investors in industrial parks in converting fuels and converting technology. Coordinate with relevant units to inspect environmental protection work, strictly handle units that only care about economic development without protecting the environment. Along with that, award the title of green enterprise to units that do a good job of environmental protection", Mr. Thuong informed about the solutions.

Mr. Cung Trong Cuong - Director of the Institute for Development Studies of Thua Thien Hue province said that the locality also orients the development of agricultural economy towards green and sustainable direction, promoting investment attraction and green tourism.

Mr. Truong Van Tien - Director of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Ninh Thuan province said that the locality always identifies improving the business environment and enhancing competitiveness as one of the key and regular tasks in its direction and management. In recent times, the locality has made efforts to reform administrative procedures, overcome bottlenecks in institutions, human resources, infrastructure, and concretize specialized plans on energy, land, construction, etc.

In addition, Ninh Thuan also focuses on strongly directing the work of removing difficulties for businesses, promptly making recommendations to the Central Government on obstacles in mechanisms, legal policies, and proposing solutions to allow Ninh Thuan to pilot the socialization mechanism in investing in power transmission infrastructure. At the same time, it is proactive in reviewing and supporting investment in developing infrastructure connecting traffic, power transmission, etc.

“In the policy of shifting the development strategy towards the “green economy” model, the province has identified renewable energy as a breakthrough area to focus on directing and operating. Therefore, Ninh Thuan has focused on consulting and the Government issued Resolution No. 115/NQ-CP, dated August 31, 2018 on a number of specific mechanisms to support Ninh Thuan province in socio-economic development and stabilizing people's lives in the period of 2018-2023. At the same time, there are many new policy mechanisms, focusing on breakthrough and pillar industries, especially the policy of building Ninh Thuan into a renewable energy center of the country, developing a gas-fired power complex, liquefied natural gas (LNG), ...”, Mr. Tien said.

According to Mr. Tien, to improve the PCI and PGI indexes, Ninh Thuan province will focus on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of regional linkages, creating new development spaces, more cohesive and seamless, promoting the potential and strengths of each locality. Continue to reform administrative procedures, the quality of the business environment associated with the construction of e-government, digital government and smart cities. In particular, innovating investment promotion work in a professional, focused, key direction, attracting investment, developing enterprises in the direction of green economy, greening production, ... to promote economic restructuring, renew the growth model in the direction of "green growth", creating a driving force to promote rapid and sustainable economic development.

Mr. Cung Trong Cuong - Director of the Institute for Development Studies of Thua Thien Hue province said that the locality has been following the green strategy for a long time. Accordingly, the locality implements rapid development based on knowledge foundation, sustainable development based on culture foundation.

According to Mr. Cuong, Thua Thien Hue also has many models of the "green - clean - bright" movement such as the flower season city, green Huong River, saying no to plastic bags and disposable plastic products, etc. Along with that are many specific green development actions such as the cooperation program with UNDP on sustainable development, WWF implementing the plastic waste reduction program, the green city program funded by ADB on environmental improvement, enhancing tourism experience, etc.

“In the coming time, Thua Thien Hue province has determined to take digital transformation as the foundation for development, orienting to strongly develop the marine economy and lagoon economy. At the same time, the locality also orients to develop the agricultural economy in a green and sustainable direction, promoting investment attraction and green tourism. In particular, building and developing Hue urban infrastructure in the direction of a garden, ecological, environmentally friendly and smart urban area, focusing on green transport infrastructure," said Mr. Cuong.