CEO Mai Kieu Lien: Whatever is necessary to serve society, Vinamilk will do.

Business has its ups and downs, but sustainable development is a responsibility to the community. Anything that serves society, Vinamilk will do - Ms. Mai Kieu Lien affirmed. "Talking about Net Zero is never enough because it covers many issues or challenges that a business needs to do. But no matter what the issue is, it is a journey of values ​​that Vinamilk never puts on the scale to compare with money ", Vinamilk General Director Mai Kieu Lien opened the conversation about sustainable development of the business. To develop, we must benefit the community - The Net Zero goal is being mentioned by many businesses after the Government 's commitment. Is there a "race" in the story of sustainable development and what are Vinamilk's principles? Sustainable development is not competition. Each business has its own way and its own contribution. It is also necessary to understand that we cannot achieve the Net Zero goal if we go alone. If there is a “race” here, it is our own race against time. Business will have its ups and downs, but sustainable development must come from responsibility, from what we ourselves feel we need to do, even if it is not mandatory. Over the past 48 years, Vinamilk has done what serves the interests of the community, and when we do it, Vinamilk will follow international standards. This is the principle that I always remind my colleagues.

Ms. Mai Kieu Lien, General Director of Vinamilk.

- When did Vinamilk's implementation of sustainable development goals, more specifically Net Zero, begin? Before the Net Zero commitment by 2050 was announced, we had implemented programs such as planting 1 million trees since 2012, publishing a sustainable development report over the past 12 years, or operating farms and factories according to emission reduction criteria many years ago. Since the 1990s, Vinamilk has joined hands with dairy farmers to build fresh milk raw material areas and develop the domestic dairy farming industry. When Vinamilk's farms were built, we invested in farms according to standards such as Global GAP, following global good agricultural practices. In 2013, Vinamilk invested in building a super milk factory in Binh Duong. At that time, from the production line, processing technology, robots, smart warehouses to the factory operation management process, they were all in the direction of saving energy and reducing emissions. At Vinamilk stores nationwide, for the past 5 years, Vinamilk has completely switched to using biodegradable plastic bags, environmentally friendly bags.

Vinamilk's Green Farm ecological farm in Tay Ninh, Quang Ngai and Thanh Hoa is a typical model of sustainable agriculture.

- As you mentioned, Vinamilk has been working towards sustainable development for many years. At Vinamilk, what is the way for such projects or long-term journeys to continue? Persistence. This persistence has been with Vinamilk for 48 years, with many generations, not just in one project or one program. Like the program of one million trees for Vietnam that we implemented more than 10 years ago, also starting with a few hundred, a few thousand trees, gradually the goal of one million trees was achieved and even exceeded. Recently, when implementing the project of protecting mangrove forests in Ca Mau , Vinamilk employees enthusiastically waded through mud, regardless of rain or shine, to make fences to help regenerate the forest. We are a collective working together towards Net Zero, towards sustainable development, not just a single individual. Ready to change, always working with the highest standards - You once answered in an interview: "I am not afraid of changing corporate policies if that is necessary". It can be seen that the leader plays a decisive role in Vinamilk's Net Zero roadmap? Yes, I am willing to change if necessary. Having held many positions at Vinamilk, when reflecting back, I see that if the leader sets out a direction but cannot convince the team, it cannot be successful. For example, the Net Zero roadmap has now entered Vinamilk's general strategy and is specifically included in the goals of functional blocks and units. That roadmap no longer depends on individual leaders but on processes or systems of standards that are followed and implemented. At Vinamilk, these standards are always continuously improved, done well and better. For example, in the past, standard A may have been good for managing greenhouse gas emissions, but now to neutralize emissions, we need standard B... In today's rapidly changing environment, those who do not strive to improve and continuously upgrade their knowledge and skills will find it difficult to create value for the business.

Vietnam Milk Factory (Mega Factory) in Binh Duong is not only known for its modernity but also as a pioneer in green production.

- In the process of pursuing the Net Zero goal, what are the challenges when implementing emission reduction projects? The most obvious challenge, in my opinion, is the "new" factor. The world's dairy industry is about 300 years old, the Vietnamese dairy industry is about 60 years old, while sustainable development is a new field for the entire world's dairy industry, not just us. This is a challenge that requires long-term implementation and business persistence. The biggest challenge, arguably, is people. Success or failure is not due to money, finance, technology... but depends on people. I often tell my colleagues in the company that the world is moving very fast now, Vinamilk people need to be self-reliant, always progressive, ready to rethink what they know to do better. That is the important thing, deciding future development. - When faced with an investment decision for sustainable development, has Vinamilk encountered any obstacles? I have not encountered any internal obstacles. As for Vinamilk's raw material suppliers and partners, I see that they are also enthusiastic about joining us in our sustainable development strategies. I often tell my employees that our actions must never harm others. All Vinamilk's investment activities must demonstrate benefits, not only for ourselves but also for stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, local people... Of course, there will be many unprecedented changes and it is not necessary to grope, we can learn from the world, use technology,... The important thing is to start taking steps to reach the destination.

Vinamilk Net Zero Forest is a forest planting project, forming a carbon sink that Vinamilk has been implementing since 2023.

- Through the journey of pursuing sustainable development, what message does Vinamilk want to convey to the community? “We change for you” - this has always been the message of the 10,000 Vinamilk people. We work for consumers. Vinamilk has achieved its current scale thanks to consumers. Vinamilk is a milk production company, a product widely used by children and this is the future generation. In our program of exchanging cartons for trees, there are first and second graders who, after drinking milk, wash the cartons and put them in the collection bin for recycling and happily bring the trees back to plant... These images help us to be encouraged and ask ourselves more about "what will we leave for future generations". Thank you very much for the interview!

Vinamilk is a pioneer enterprise that has committed and announced its roadmap to reach the Net Zero goal by 2050. To date, 2 factories and 1 farm of the enterprise have achieved carbon neutrality according to the international standard PAS2060:2014. With many efforts in Sustainable Development, Vinamilk has been continuously honored at many domestic and international awards such as: Asia Responsible Enterprise 2024 (AREA), Top 50 Outstanding Sustainable Development Enterprises (CSA), ... important categories of ESG Leadership / Green Leadership and Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction.

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ceo-vinamilk-dieu-gi-can-thiet-phuc-vu-cho-xa-hoi-vinamilk-se-lam-ar890859.html