Participants at the conference held as part of the Golden Autumn Fair 2025 in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — In the face of rapid globalisation and deep economic integration, the shift toward green transformation and sustainable development has become an urgent priority, according to officials.

Speaking at a conference held as part of the Golden Autumn Fair 2025 in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Nguyễn Thị Lam Giang, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion (IGIP), emphasised that industries must accelerate technological innovation, adopt cleaner production methods and implement circular economy practices to ensure sustainable growth.

During the event, IGIP representative Phạm Trường Sơn said that climate change was no longer a new or distant issue. He noted that in just September and October of this year, Hà Nội experienced three historic rainstorms, extreme weather events that hydrometeorological experts said would typically occur only once every few decades.

Since the late 1980s, global efforts to address climate change have been underway, beginning with the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and followed by international agreements including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, which encouraged countries to set their own climate commitments based on national conditions.

As a developing country, Việt Nam has actively engaged in these global initiatives through mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism, allowing for technology transfer and participation in the international carbon credit market, according to the agency.

At the COP26 Conference in 2021, Việt Nam reaffirmed its strong commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, marking a pivotal shift from a carbon-based economy to a green and circular economy.

To realise this pledge, the country has rapidly translated its commitments into concrete actions through new policies and legal frameworks. The Law on Environmental Protection which took effect on January 1, 2022, includes an entire chapter on climate change response, outlining requirements for greenhouse gas inventories, emissions reduction, carbon market development and green finance mechanisms.

“Greenhouse gas inventories are no longer optional, but a mandatory requirement,” Sơn said. “This is the first step for businesses to move toward carbon governance and meet green standards in international trade.”

He added that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would not only be a legal obligation, but also a key driver of sustainable development. By proactively adopting clean, energy-efficient technologies and engaging in the carbon market, Vietnamese enterprises could overcome green trade barriers, enhance competitiveness and strengthen the nation’s green and sustainable image in the global market.

Speakers and attendees at the Golden Autumn Fair 2025. — VNS Photo

Trần Thu Hằng from IGIP's Division of Energy Efficiency and Green Transition echoed this view, stressing that the global trend of sustainable development had become an inevitable requirement of the industrialisation process.

“Sustainable development is not only a long-term goal, but also a mandatory path for the industry and trade sector to enhance competitiveness, ensuring harmony between economic growth and environmental protection,” she said.

According to Hằng, in the context of deep international integration, Vietnamese enterprises should regard the green transformation as a central element of their development strategy, rather than merely a compliance requirement.

She underscored the importance of improving the nation's legal and policy framework as a foundation for ministries, sectors, localities and enterprises to proactively implement sustainable development programmes and models.

“Close coordination among local authorities, industry associations and both domestic and international organisations also plays a crucial role,” Hằng added. “Such collaboration effectively supports the Ministry of Industry and Trade in implementing its set goals.”

She further highlighted the importance of international cooperation, calling it a key channel for mobilising global resources and sharing experiences to advance priority policies and programmes on sustainable development and green transformation within the industry and trade sector.

These concerted efforts, she said, were expected to make a significant contribution to achieving green growth, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the role and reputation of Việt Nam’s industry and trade sector in the country’s sustainable development journey. — VNS