Trần Văn Miều, Vice President of the Việt Nam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment. — VNA/VNS Photo Diệu Thuý

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s next stage of development will depend on breakthrough institutional reforms, innovation-driven growth and a transition to a green and sustainable economy, experts have said, describing these as essential pillars for achieving the country’s goal of becoming a developed, high-income nation by 2045.

Speaking on the strategic direction set out at the 14th National Party Congress, experts from the Việt Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) highlighted the need to unlock new motivations for growth while balancing economic expansion with environmental protection and governance reform.

Breakthrough shift in environmental development mindset

Reviewing the country’s prominent achievements over four decades of the Đổi mới (renewal) process, Trần Văn Miều, Vice President of the VUSTA's Việt Nam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), said Việt Nam has successfully transitioned to a socialist-oriented market economy, broken through embargoes and isolation, and steadily emerged as a regional growth bright spots while integrating more deeply into the regional and global economy, laying a solid foundation for a new stage of development.

The country’s GDP now surpasses US$514 billion, with per capita GDP exceeding $5,026 a year. Alongside economic gains, Việt Nam has also made strides in infrastructure development, poverty reduction, human development and global integration.

According to Miều, Việt Nam has undergone a fundamental shift in its development philosophy, moving from exploiting natural resources for growth to pursuing sustainable development. Environmental protection, climate action and green transition have become central to national development strategies, reflected in the commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and promote biodiversity conservation alongside benefit sharing.

The expert said despite its economic achievements, Việt Nam's rapid industrialisation has created growing environmental challenges. He noted that balancing growth with nature conservation requires stronger institutions and clearer responsibilities for authorities, businesses and citizens, wider adoption of green and circular economy models, greater public awareness, more sustainable business practices, science-based planning that respects environmental carrying capacity, and transparent environmental impact assessments.

Science, technology and digital transformation should play a greater role in environmental management, biodiversity conservation and early-risk forecasting through big data systems, he added.

To fulfil Việt Nam’s climate commitments, Miều proposed accelerating the transition to a circular economy, green infrastructure and digital transformation with ecosystems at the centre of development. Priorities include advancing a low-carbon economy through eco-design and renewable energy, while strengthening ecosystem-based biodiversity conservation, particularly by restoring mangrove forests to enhance carbon absorption and improve resilience to natural disasters.

He stressed that people must remain at the centre of sustainable development, with communities, businesses, schools and social organisations all sharing responsibility for the green transition.

Việt Nam should introduce green finance mechanisms to attract sustainable FDI, issue green bonds and develop the carbon credit market, he said, noting that lasting environmental protection depends on putting people at the centre of sustainable development by engaging individuals, communities, schools, religious organisations and businesses in the country's green transition process.

Institutional and economic reforms

Sharing Miều’s opinion, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vũ Văn Phúc, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Economics and International Law under VUSTA and former Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review, said Việt Nam's national strength, international standing and development potential have reached unprecedented levels after nearly four decades of reform.

From a poor and isolated economy, Việt Nam has become one of the world's fastest-growing exporters while making notable progress in social welfare, with the multidimensional poverty rate falling to 1.93 per cent.

Việt Nam has signed 17 free trade agreements (FTAs), established diplomatic relations with 194 countries, and set up comprehensive partnerships or higher with 42 countries, and comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

However, reaching the upper-middle-income status is only an initial step, Phúc said.

To achieve the goal of becoming a developed, high-income country, he proposed a comprehensive set of measures, calling for accelerating the transition to a new growth model driven by digital, data and green economy, with science, technology and innovation as the main engines of growth.

Việt Nam should seize opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor technology, to boost total factor productivity (TFP), while further improving the socialist-oriented market economy to unlock resources, strengthen development of domestic enterprises and safeguard national interests, he said. 

Phúc added that institutional reform should go hand in hand with modern governance, including streamlining the state apparatus and improving the effectiveness of the rule-of-law state.

The expert called for a people-centred governance model, further streamlining the state apparatus, ensuring that all laws and policies prioritise the people's safety, well-being and happiness, and promoting public participation in governance while aligning the Party's vision with the people's aspirations to achieve the country’s long-term development ambitions by 2045. — VNA/VNS