Enterprises receive the “HCM City Green Businesses 2023” title from Võ Văn Hoan, vice chairman of the city People's Committee, and Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa, chairman of the HCM City Union of Business Associations, at a ceremony on September 13. — Photo courtesy of Sacombank

HCM CITY — The HCM City Union of Business Associations and Saigon Giải Phóng newspaper honoured 90 businesses for their efforts to achieve green growth at a ceremony on September 13.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hòa, the association chairman, said the title of “HCM City Green Businesses” conferred on them seeks to acknowledge and encourage businesses in the city that comply with waste treatment regulations, make environment-friendly products, exhibit environmental responsibility, and pursue green growth and sustainable development.

The title, unveiled in May this year, attracted 120 enterprises in two industries, manufacturing and trading-service-real estate, and 90 were chosen through strict selection criteria, according to the organisers.

They included Phú Nhuận Jewelry JSC, Saigon Thương Tín Commercial Joint Stock Bank, Saigon Union of Trading Co-orperatives, An Thiên Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Saigon Trading Group, Tân Quang Minh Manufacture and Trading Co., Ltd, Imex Pan Pacific Co.,Ltd, and Cholimex Food Joint Stock Company.

“These are businesses that have been making great efforts to implement green transformation, invest in technology reform, adopt green criteria in their production and trading, comply with environmental regulations, helping the city build a clean, environmentally friendly living and working environment,” Hòa said.

Võ Văn Hoan, vice chairman of the city People's Committee, said: “The selection shows that businesses have proactively invested in waste and wastewater treatment, and used materials and manufacturing and trading process that are environment-friendly to meet the increasing requirements in the domestic and foreign markets.”

Prof Dr Nguyễn Hồng Quân, director of the Institute for Circular Economy Development at the Vietnam National University-HCM City, said: “Green growth has become the new rule in the domestic and international markets as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable development. Many import markets impose high taxes on products with large carbon footprints.

“Businesses are required to go green if they want to survive, develop and integrate into the global market.”

Nguyễn Anh Đức, chairman of the Association of Vietnam Retailers and general director of retail giant Saigon Co.op, said obtaining the title would help businesses enter the international market more confidently besides raising their competitiveness in the domestic market.

Hòa said the title would be conferred annually to further encourage businesses to embrace green growth.

The organisers would also provide firms with information about green technical barriers to trade in the domestic and export markets, and help them achieve green development, he added. — VNS