Michele Wee, CEO of Standard Chartered Vietnam shared at the event. Photo courtesy of the bank

BẾN TRE Standard Chartered Bank (Vietnam) and the Standing Provincial Party Committee, Bến Tre People Committee and Department of Planning and Investment of Bến Tre co-organised the seminar “Enhancing competitiveness and promoting sustainable development with ESG” in Bến Tre.

This is one of the bank’s initiatives to raise awareness of ESG and Sustainable Finance among local businesses and encourage ESG integration into their operations.

Delivering opening speech at the seminar, Lê Đức Thọ, Provincial Party Committee Secretary of Bến Tre Province said: “Bến Tre Province has also issued an Action Plan for Sustainable Development to 2030 and is developing a Provincial Green Growth Action Plan for the 2021-30 period; in which, we call for participation and implementation together of all levels, organisations, individuals and businesses in the province. The objectives, tasks and solutions on green growth and sustainable development are integrated into the annual plan of the province and 5-year socio-economic development plan to achieve the results.”

“This seminar will enable organisations and individuals, especially local businesses to raise awareness on the importance of Environment - Social – Governance (ESG); at the same time, to access to sustainable financial sources to expand, further growth, accompany and contribute to the social and economic development of Bến Tre sustainably,” Thọ said.

The seminar featured presentations delivered by experts in sustainable finance. The topics discussed included the importance of ESG and Sustainable Finance for Việt Nam, the challenges and opportunities of ESG implementation, and how the bank’s sustainable finance solutions addresses these challenges.

“Standard Chartered is supporting sustainable finance across our dynamic footprints. We believe that by working together, we can create a more sustainable and inclusive future for all. By providing innovative and sustainable solutions to support local companies, we aspire to drive commerce, prosperity and sustainability in the country”, said Michele Wee, CEO of Standard Chartered Vietnam.

Nguyễn Thúy Hạnh, Deputy General Director, Head of Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Standard Chartered Vietnam said: “At Standard Chartered, we are committed to promoting sustainable development and incorporating ESG practices into our operation. It’s our pleasure to share experience and knowledge with businesses in Bến Tre Province in developing effective strategies for sustainable and resilient development. We look forward to continuing partner with the province and supporting local businesses in their efforts to achieve sustainable growth.”

Standard Chartered has made sustainability one of its key business priorities. As a leading financial institution, the bank aims to promote sustainable finance in our markets, aiming to support sustainable economic growth, expanding renewables financing and investing in sustainable infrastructure where it is needed most. In term of sustainable finance solutions, Standard Chartered provide dedicated teams who help clients at each stage of their journey in ESG and transition and allow them to confidently access the most innovative services and products in sustainable finance, transition finance, blended finance and on carbon markets and high integrity carbon off-sets to channel money to decarbonizing projects in support of a system-wide energy transition.

Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam named the “Best ESG Bank in Việt Nam in 2022” by Asiamoney, recognising the bank’s outstanding efforts in driving the application of Environmental, Social and Governance considerations in Việt Nam. VNS