The green transition has persisted despite nearly a year of market turbulence, adopting newer and more innovative approaches.

The momentum is underscored at the Sustainable Development 2025 forum in HCMC on the morning of August 28, themed “A New Era for Green Growth,” organized by the Saigon Times Group as part of its annual Green Economy Forum series. A highlight of the event is the debut of 22 “Green Stars” – businesses recognized for their tangible efforts to promote greener practices and cut emissions. Green transition stays on course The first quarter of 2025 has been a turbulent time for global trade and green development. U.S. President Donald Trump’s new policy to scale back support for greening the economy, along with the “anti-green” wave that started in 2024, has slowed the momentum for sustainability. However, as the saying goes, “in the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.” These headwinds are pushing the green movement to become more genuine and compelling businesses to go “truly green” rather than resorting to “greenwashing.” At the Sustainable Development 2025 event, themed “A New Era for Green Growth,” business leaders, experts, and policymakers sit down together to discuss key issues such as the challenges and opportunities in implementing green growth strategies; how businesses are adapting to balance economic development with cultural, social, and environmental considerations; investment and business opportunities in the green growth context; and access to green finance for sustainable growth. The past year’s hesitations in the green transition have raised concerns and prompted urgent questions: Are multibillion-dollar investments in clean technology at risk due to geopolitical headwinds? Has the tide shifted against green development, and how should we respond? With the Politburo’s introduction of Resolution 68 and National Assembly Resolution 198, what steps must Vietnamese businesses take to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the green transition? These issues are discussed at the Green Economy Forum 2025, with presentations including: “Vietnam’s Green Growth: New Opportunities and Strategic Pathways” by Dr. Bui Thanh Minh, deputy director of the Office of the Research and Development Board for the Private Economic Sector (Board IV); “Reshaping Green Strategies in the “BANI World” by Dinh Hong Ky, vice chairman of the HCMC Union Of Business Association (HUBA) and chairman of the HCMC Green Business Association (HGBA); “Seizing Investment and Business Opportunities in a Greener World” by Lim Dyi Chang, executive director, Corporate Banking at UOB Vietnam; and “Global Green Standards: A Passport for Vietnamese Businesses to Global Markets” by To Thanh Son, ESG Manager of SGS Vietnam. Opportunities for Vietnamese businesses in the green transition will be further discussed in the panel titled “What Can Be Done for Citizens and Businesses to Benefit from Green Growth,” moderated by Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, co-founder of Green Transition and co-chair of the French Chamber of Commerce ESG Task Force (CCIFV). The panel includes Dr. Bui Thanh Minh; Dinh Hong Ky; To Thanh Son; Pham Binh An, deputy director of the HCMC Institute for Development Studies; Dang Thuy Trang, head of Public Affairs at Grab Vietnam; and Nguyen Thanh Huong, group chief investment officer at Nam Long Group. Green Star merit ceremony honors 22 businesses A highlight of this year’s “Sustainable Development 2025: A New Era for Green Growth” event is the introduction of the Green Star merit ceremony, which honors businesses in manufacturing, construction–real estate, and services–trade for their tangible contributions to the green transition and sustainable development. These companies have created products and services that are both safe for consumers’ health and environmentally friendly. The recognition of businesses that have successfully minimized environmental emissions also underscores a collective commitment with society to fulfill the Prime Minister’s COP26 pledge of achieving Net Zero by 2050. The businesses honored at the 2025 Green Star Merit Ceremony have adopted a variety of energy-saving and efficiency measures, such as using solar power, gradually shifting from gasoline/diesel cars to hybrid vehicles, reducing the use of coal-fired boilers, and processing organic waste into animal feed or fertilizer. They have also emphasized systematic emissions reduction reporting, with some companies implementing the ISO 14064-1 standards to monitor greenhouse gas inventories. Beyond direct emission reductions, manufacturing businesses have expanded their efforts by carefully choosing sustainable input materials, such as RSPO-certified palm oil verified by Bureau Veritas, and plantation-sourced timber instead of natural forest wood. The 2025 Green Star companies are also adopting a broader approach by encouraging energy-saving practices among employees, from requiring the use of energy-efficient equipment like LED and automatic lighting systems to involving staff in community initiatives that promote a greener environment. Besides their own efforts and employee participation in emission-reduction activities, some tourism businesses have also created sustainable action plans with their suppliers, while encouraging customers to participate in low- or zero-emission initiatives such as green cruises and community-based sustainable tours. Plastic waste remains a top priority in building a greener environment. Despite many challenges, the 2025 Green Star businesses have already achieved encouraging results, such as introducing bioplastic forks with a bio-based carbon content of 40% to under 60%, reducing plastic bag use across retail chains, and earning “plastic waste–free hotel” certification from the Vietnam Tourism Association. Beyond simply reducing consumption, Vietnamese businesses have made significant progress in advancing the circular economy. One plastic recycling plant now operates under the “three no’s” model: no solid waste, no emissions, and no wastewater. To date, billions of plastic bottles—amounting to nearly 50,000 tons of plastic waste—have been recycled, with the regenerated plastic pellets successfully exported to dozens of markets, including demanding ones like the United States and the European Union (EU). The list of this year’s 22 “Green Stars” will be announced by the organizers of the “Sustainable Development 2025: A New Era for Green Growth” event at 11:00 a.m. on August 28, 2025, at the Rex Hotel in HCMC, and published on the program’s landing page: https://kinhtexanh.thesaigontimes.vn/. Readers are warmly invited to follow the announcement.