Ms. Mai Kieu Lien shared many aspects of Vinamilk's Net Zero strategy, the brand with the highest sustainability in Vietnam and in the top 6 of the global dairy industry.
The Net Zero target 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 a competition. Each business has its own path and contribution. It is also important to understand that we cannot achieve Net Zero 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 you yourself feel you need to do, even if it is not mandatory. For over 48 years, Vinamilk has done what serves the interests of the community, and when it does, Vinamilk will follow international standards. This is the principle that I always remind my colleagues.
When did Vinamilk's process of implementing sustainable development goals, more specifically Net Zero, begin?
Before the Net Zero by 2050 commitment was announced, we had implemented programs such as planting 1 million trees since 2012, publishing sustainability reports for 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 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's operation management process, they were all in the direction of saving energy and reducing emissions. In Vinamilk stores across the country, for the past 5 years, Vinamilk has completely switched to using biodegradable plastic bags and environmentally friendly bags.
As you mentioned, Vinamilk has been working towards sustainable development for many years. At Vinamilk, what is the way to continue such long-term projects or journeys?
Persistence. This persistence has been with Vinamilk for 48 years, with many generations, not just in one project or one program. Like the 1 million trees for Vietnam program that we implemented more than 10 years ago, also starting with a few hundred, a few thousand trees, gradually the goal of 1 million trees was also achieved and even exceeded.
Recently, when implementing the mangrove protection project in Ca Mau, Vinamilk employees enthusiastically waded through mud, regardless of rain or shine, to build fences to help regenerate the forest. We are a collective working together towards Net Zero, towards sustainable development, not just a single individual.
She once answered in an interview: "I am not afraid to change the company's policy if it 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 the processes or systems of standards that are followed and implemented.
At Vinamilk, these standards are constantly being improved, doing better and better. For example, in the past, standard A was 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.
The most obvious challenge, in my opinion, is the “new” factor. The world 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 dairy industry, not just ours. This is a challenge that requires long-term implementation and business persistence.
The biggest challenge is people. Success or failure is not due to money, finance, technology, etc., 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.
Faced with an investment decision for sustainable development, did Vinamilk encounter 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 always 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 changes that are unprecedented and do not necessarily have to be groped, we can learn from the world, use technology, etc. The important thing is to start walking to be able to reach the destination.
Through the journey of pursuing sustainable development, what message does Vinamilk want to convey to the community?
“We change for you” – this is still the message of the 10,000 people of Vinamilk from the past to the present. We do it for consumers.
Vinamilk has achieved its current scale thanks to consumers. Vinamilk is a milk production company, a product that is 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, put them in the collection bin for recycling, and happily bring the trees home 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!
06:30 08/30/2024
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/lam-phat-trien-ben-vung-can-tu-duy-san-sang-thay-doi-va-luon-nang-cao-tieu-chuan.html
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