Green consumer trends push Vietnamese businesses to adapt

The discussion, titled ‘When Consumers Go Green, Businesses Adapt,’ took place during the closing ceremony of the festival organized from Saturday and Sunday at Phan Dinh Phung Park in Xuan Hoa Ward.

Experts from agriculture, construction materials, sustainability consulting and lighting industries shared how changing consumer expectations are influencing business strategies.

Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, co-founder and managing partner of Green Transition, said Vietnamese consumers are paying increasing attention to the environmental impact of products, corporate social responsibility and sustainability commitments.

According to Bao, some consumers are willing to pay about 20 percent more for eco-friendly products.

He added that purchasing decisions are no longer based solely on quality and price, but also on trust in the company behind the product.

Bao revealed that Green Vietnam Festival 2026 generated an estimated 34 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. About 46 percent came from event operations, while 54 percent stemmed from festival-goers’ transportation, food consumption and other activities.

“The figures show that reducing emissions requires participation from both organizers and the community,” he said.

The shift toward green consumption is also affecting exporters.

Dang Bui Khue, ESG director of Thanh Thanh Cong-Bien Hoa JSC, or AgriS, said Vietnamese companies face growing pressure from international regulations, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

These policies impose increasingly stringent requirements for supply chain transparency, emissions control and proof of product origin.

According to the AgriS representative, carbon credit prices have at times approached 70 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide, highlighting how emissions-related costs are becoming an important consideration for businesses involved in production and exports.

AgriS currently holds approximately 40 percent of Vietnam’s domestic sugar market and exports products to more than 88 countries.

Some markets with stringent sustainability requirements require the company to provide information on the carbon footprint of individual products.

To meet those requirements, AgriS is developing a traceability platform that provides information on production locations, farming conditions, disease management and greenhouse gas emissions.

The company believes that greater transparency will help strengthen exports and attract green financing for farmers.

In the construction sector, Williamson Derek, concrete and aggregates solution development manager at INSEE Vietnam, said Ho Chi Minh City could generate around six million metric tons of construction waste this year.

To illustrate the scale, he compared the volume to roughly 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Construction waste is expected to increase further in the coming years, he said.

Before 1990, construction density in Ho Chi Minh City was relatively low.

However, construction activity accelerated after 1990 amid increased public investment and rapid urbanization, generating larger volumes of construction materials and waste.

In response, INSEE is researching recycling solutions that would allow demolition materials to be reused rather than sent to landfills.

The company also continues expanding its EcoCycle program, which converts difficult-to-recycle industrial waste into alternative fuel and raw materials for cement production.

Meanwhile, Phan Tung Lam, ecom manager at Signify Vietnam, said consumers increasingly prefer products with longer lifespans and lower environmental impact.

Signify is focusing on lighting products that are brighter, more durable and more energy efficient.

The company’s latest products offer longer service lives and smart-control features designed to reduce unnecessary electricity consumption.