On May 9th, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the People's Committee of Trà Vinh province jointly organized a regional workshop on economic development linked to environmental protection and introduced the "Provincial Green Index" (PGI) with the goal of initiating the process of coordinated efforts to promote sustainable development at the local level.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary-General of VCCI, stated that green development, sustainable development is a particularly important issue in the Mekong Delta region, with TraVinh province leading the Provincial Green Index (PGI) for the first time.

Representing VCCI, he also assessed that the global trend is for green development to be integrated into every aspect of the development process. Therefore, Vietnam's future FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) investments are also being directed towards greener, higher quality, and more technologically advanced projects, bringing about higher value-added. Vietnam has a policy of building an investment environment that is not only favorable in terms of procedures but also greener and more sustainable.

Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary-General of VCCI

In the efforts to implement this important direction with the Party and the Government, VCCI has conceived the idea of establishing a Green Index to evaluate the provincial-level green business environment, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and some multinational corporations. This is a bottom-up approach in the efforts to protect the environment, promote sustainable development, and build upon the success of administrative procedure reforms and improvements in Vietnam's business environment in the past.

As the locality with the highest green index in the country, as announced for the first time, Mr. Le Van Han, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra Vinh province, stated that in recent times, the local government has shown great concern, issuing numerous documents regarding environmental protection. Additionally, they have developed and implemented various plans, with the entire political system focusing on resource management, utilization, and environmental protection.

Chairman of Tra Vinh Provincial People's Committee Le Van Han shared at the workshop.

Mr. Le Van Han evaluates the PGI as a useful policy tool that can complement the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) to promote the improvement of an investment-friendly and environmentally sustainable business environment in Vietnam in the near future.

The PGI consists of four component indices: minimization of environmental pollution and negative impacts of climate change; ensuring compliance with minimum environmental standards; the leadership role of provincial government in environmental protection; policies and services supporting businesses in environmental protection.

According to the PGI rankings in 2022, Tra Vinh province achieved a score of 17.67 and was recognized as the top province nationwide in terms of environmental governance quality and green growth orientation in 2022.

“The results achieved above are the outcome of synchronized, friendly, and harmonious cooperation between the business community and the state, as well as the enthusiastic support from provinces and cities, and the dedicated efforts of leaders, officials, and civil servants. Although the province ranks first in the announced results, upon closer examination of the overall scores and scores of individual indices, Tra Vinh still has many areas that need further improvement in the future. We hope to continue receiving support from VCCI, provinces, cities, and the shared cooperation and support of the business community to contribute to the success of the journey towards improving competitiveness and transitioning to a green economy, enabling Tra Vinh province to keep pace with other provinces in the region and the country," shared Mr. Le Van Han.

Also at the conference, Mr. Huynh Van Son, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Long An province, affirmed that Long An does not compromise the environment for economic development. At the same time, the province prioritizes clean agricultural projects, environmental protection, and high technology. The province firmly refuses to put into operation projects that have not completed environmental protection procedures. Annual environmental inspections and checks are conducted in a timely manner to prevent the recurrence of violations.

Mr. Huynh Van Son, Vice Chairman of Long An Provincial People's Committee.

Mr. Huynh Van Son affirmed, "In the coming time, the province will review and issue environmental protection documents, promptly implement community outreach programs to enhance the involvement of the community; strengthen monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws, intensify efforts to attract investment and socialize the handling of waste and wastewater in urban areas, industrial zones, and economic zones."