Green Economy - The Transformation of Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, one of the 10 cities most severely affected by climate change, is facing major challenges in terms of environment and sustainable development. The city currently emits more than 60 million tons of CO2 per year, mainly from industry, transportation and daily life. These figures require Ho Chi Minh City to have a strategy to minimize the negative impacts of climate change.
To cope with this situation, Ho Chi Minh City has identified green growth as a sustainable development strategy. The city aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
One of the important steps in this strategy is the operation of Metro Line 1 and 17 electric bus routes from December 22, 2024. This is not only a modern public transport solution but also contributes to building a green transport system, reducing environmental pressure and improving urban air quality.
With clean energy replacing fossil fuels, Metro Line 1 and the electric bus system are expected to significantly reduce CO2 from transportation – the second largest source of emissions in the city. This is an important foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to transform its economic structure towards sustainability, encouraging the development of related industries such as renewable energy, electrical equipment manufacturing and smart transport technology.
At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City is calling for investment in 28 green projects worth VND160,000 billion, focusing on the fields of electronics, microchips, data centers in the High-Tech Park, transportation, wastewater treatment and urban beautification.
According to Mr. Tran Quang Lam - Director of the Department of Transport, the city will implement a roadmap to convert means of transport from fossil fuels to green energy, starting with replacing fossil fuel buses with electric or CNG buses by 2030.
Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Dung said that the city is finalizing a green growth strategy with four main contents: Developing green resources, building green infrastructure, developing green behavior and identifying pioneering industries. One of the major pillars is the legal framework to support businesses, including policies and programs to support the development of green production and sustainable consumption.
"Despite many advantages, Ho Chi Minh City still faces many difficulties, especially the lack of synchronization in the legal corridor. Regulations on clean energy, carbon credits and construction material recycling need to be completed to create favorable conditions for businesses and the community to implement the green economic model," said Mr. Dung.
Digital Economy - Growth Driver for Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is drastically transforming itself to become a digital economic locomotive by 2030, with the goal of the digital economy contributing 25% of GRDP by 2025 and reaching 40% by 2030, according to Resolution 31 of the Politburo.
Mr. Lam Dinh Thang - Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City - emphasized that digital transformation is not only a trend but also a key driving force for growth. The digital economy has penetrated all aspects of life, from traditional markets to large enterprises, bringing convenience to people and making an important contribution to the economic structure.
In 2022, the digital economy will account for 18.66% of Ho Chi Minh City's GRDP and increase to 21.5% in 2023. However, the city is facing major challenges such as ensuring cybersecurity, protecting personal data and developing technology infrastructure.
To support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this process, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued a plan to support SMEs in digital transformation by 2025. Accordingly, 100% of SMEs will have their awareness raised, with at least 60% using digital platforms to optimize operations. The city also builds a network of consultants to support businesses in overcoming technical barriers.
Phu Nhuan District was chosen as the pilot site for the digital transformation model. Data collected from the project will be the basis for expanding and adjusting policies. Ho Chi Minh City also focuses on training human resources, especially in the retail, healthcare and e-commerce sectors, to improve digital skills.
However, Mr. Lam Dinh Thang said that digital transformation is not only a matter of technology but also a change in thinking and working processes. The city is investing heavily in telecommunications infrastructure, broadband Internet and information security. At the same time, building a legal framework to protect personal data is considered a top priority.
(Posted on the special edition of Lao Dong Xuan At Ty)
