Enterprises face difficulties in the greening process
According to Mr. Vo Van Hoan - Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the increase of climate change along with the depletion of natural resources has made sustainable development an mandatory requirement. Ho Chi Minh City identifies green transformation as a strategic orientation to create a harmonious future between economic growth, environmental protection and social progress.
In the orientation of developing a modern and sustainable urban area, Ho Chi Minh City has established a clear and strong strategy in promoting science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. In the context of a profoundly changing world, we cannot continue to rely on the previous model of growth based on resources and cheap labor. It is necessary to seek new motivations, especially green technology - Mr. Vo Van Hoan emphasized.
However, to realize green transformation, the city is facing many challenges, especially in the field of enterprises - the core force of the economy.
Mr. Dinh Hong Ky - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association (HUBA), said that the current demand for green credit is very large as more and more businesses intend to or are implementing the greening process. However, most of the businesses that boldly invest in green models are large corporations with solid financial potential. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face many barriers.
One of the biggest barriers is finance. About 65% of businesses have difficulty accessing capital to implement green projects" - Mr. Ky shared.
The lack of clear support mechanisms, the lack of systematic training programs on green technology or environmental standards certification processes has caused many businesses to fall behind in this race.
Practical support to promote green exports
To remove difficulties, the Ho Chi Minh City Business Support and Development Center has advised and implemented many support policies.
According to Mr. Le Minh Trung - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Development and Support Center, green export is no longer a new concept, having appeared more than 20 years ago, associated with phrases such as cleaner production or sustainable consumption. However, green exports are not only a trend, but have become a mandatory condition if businesses want to maintain the market and expand internationally.
One of the key points, according to Mr. Trung, is the change in the thinking of farmers and producers.
"Only when they really change their way of thinking and doing things can the product become green" - Mr. Trung said. This means that the government needs to have a strong enough mechanism to encourage people and businesses to change their production and consumption behavior towards environmental friendliness.
Ho Chi Minh City has taken many measures to support green export businesses, such as building national brands through trade promotion fairs, typically the Vietnam Export Fair in 2025.
Ho Chi Minh City has implemented many policies to support businesses in green transformation such as: Un interest-free lending for 7 years to invest in green machinery and technology; paying 70% of technology training costs and supporting 50% of costs for inviting experts to directly guide at the factory.
Practical policies and clear strategic orientations are helping Ho Chi Minh City gradually move towards the goal of becoming a green - smart - creative city. Despite many challenges, with the support of the government, businesses and people, Ho Chi Minh City can become a model of green transformation for the whole country.
