SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS THE “BRIGHT FUTURE” OF EUTREUPRENEURS

The quick survey launched to enterprises in last Covid-19 outbreaks by Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) unveiled that businesses pursuing the sustainable development are recognized with faster resilience, creating “anti-body” against the pandemics. Sustainable development is now not an abstract and big story only for giants, but also for whole business community.

On 9 December 2021, Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum 2021 (VCSF) was held with topic “Orienting towards a better sustainable development decade: no one is left behind” and the Program on Announcing Sustainable Companies in Vietnam (CSI 2021)by Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD).

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS AWARENESS

Vietnam has been recognized with myriad of significant achievements in the socio-economic and environment fields in nearly 6 years of pursuing sustainable development goals as what referred to by Mr. Pham Tan Cong, the Chairman of VCCI, Chairman of Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Vietnam ranking on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is globally subject to continuous increase in the period of 2016 - 2021. Vietnam prestige in the global ranking is also ceaselessly improved with increase chain in ranking from 88/149 counties in 2016 to 51/165 countries in 2021.

Especially, corporate movement in sustainable development was also significantly varied. Many players are recently found to gradually move their business orientation and strategy to responsible business from for-profit business.

The announcement results of 6th Vietnamese sustainable enterprises in 2021 revealed that percent of Vietnamese and foreign enterprises awarded with title of TOP 10 Sustainable Development Entrepreneurs is 5% and 45%, respectively. Among TOP 100, this percent is 63% and 27%, respectively.

Evaluating the available SDG fulfillment of Vietnam business community, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, the General Secretary of VCCI, Deputy Chairman cum General Secretary of VBCSD, assumed that the businesses are not only aware of sustainable development concept, but also penetration of significance as well as “survival” of sustainable development fulfillment in production & business activities, especially when it is struggled with Covid-19 pandemic shock.

Within 11 months of 2021, over 100 thousand of players escaped from the market, increase in over 15% YoY. However, those who were persistent to pursue the sustainable development strategy through years successfully created “antibody” against the pandemics, maintaining stable operation and operating growth, even breakthrough development as what evidenced by Mr. Vinh.

A survey launched in September 2021 by VBCSD regarding existing conditions of enterprises in the pandemic context unveiled that, up to 81% of enterprises strengthened the industry affiliation, ensuring non-break of supply chain.

Regardless of such fact, Vietnamese community’s fulfillment of sustainable development goals was still challenging as assumed by Mr. Cong. The biggest challenge is low awareness and capacity of entire system (human resources, infrastructure, finance and legislation), resulting in the fact that old habits in production and management are late to change.

Awareness of sustainable development of more agencies, enterprises and local residents are incomplete and inconsistent. Socio-economic policies still favor for fast economic growth and social stability, rather than proper concern on sustainability during operation and use of natural resources in attachment with environmental protection, etc.

The financial resources for SDG fulfillment in Vietnam are mainly originated from public resources, mobilization of private resources and social resources is restricted; many Vietnamese enterprises are characterized by backward technology application and low productivity; extensive growth, using fossil fuel as input materials, and low level application of new technology for mitigation of physical consumables.

“PLAYGROUND” OF ALL ENTERPRISES AND LOCAL RESIDENTS

In order to multiply the sustainable development model in business community, Mr. Cong said that, VCCI has worked closely with the National Council for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement as well as ministries, industries and localities to launch the initiatives such as Launching the CSI-based sustainable business ranking program; mobilizing the engagement of businesses to launch Green Growth Strategy as well as Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit; launching the initiatives on cycling economy, etc.

“Entire Vietnamese business community, including 97$ of SMEs, should jointly develop the business community for sustainable development. We should not see it as a “playground” for giants, but sustainable development is for all players and persons.” (Shared by Mr. Vu Duc Dam)

At the summit, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chairman of  the National Council for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement, shared, through Covid-19 pandemics, myriad of sustainable development models showed off the good adaptability to pandemics, non-traditional security and climate change factors.

Now, sustainable development became inevitable trends which cannot be reversed. SDGs were integrated into all socio-economic development strategy by Vietnamese Government.

Archiving 17 SGDs was a very big challenge for all countries, including the most developed ones, as what referred to by the Deputy Prime Minister. As a developing country, although Vietnam was still struggling with a series of difficulties, Vietnam has braved to give out extremely powerful commitments on sustainable development.

Up to now, Vietnam has successfully fulfilled 02 goals on education, consumption and responsible production. Other items are in progress, including goals of infrastructure, inland resources and sea resources which are found with significant gap.

From the initiation of cycling economic model, many projects were very specific, the sustainable development enterprises developed a series of large scale activities in the society, even becoming the movement.

However, the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that the Government, enterprises as well as community and each resident also play an important role to fulfill the sustainable development goals. “We work together to fulfill even the smallest thing, change the habit right from beginning for sustainable development purpose”, said by the Deputy Prime Minister.

He also emphasized that significant contribution has been made in epidemic prevention and control in Vietnam. Those who pursued sustainable development philosophy survived and helped the community and employees.

“Sustainable development is not an abstract and big story only for giants. Sustainable development is very practical, possibly concreted through good fulfillment of legal regulations and civilized behavior in production & business activities of each enterprise regardless of operating scale and fields.” (Mr. Pham Tan Cong, Chairman of VCCI, Chairman of VCSF)

“Sustainable development is not an abstract and big story only for giants. Sustainable development is very practical, possibly concreted through good fulfillment of legal regulations and civilized behavior in production & business activities of each enterprise regardless of operating scale and fields.” (Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, the General Secretary of VCCI, Vice Chairman cum General Secretary of VBCSD)