Green development of the "big guys" in the consumer and retail industry

Masan is one of the Vietnamese enterprises that has implemented a sustainable development strategy early, seriously and systematically. Those efforts have directed the group's operations towards a sustainable development strategy in the consumer and retail sectors.

Leading in clean agricultural products

With the vision of becoming a leading consumer-retail group not only in the Vietnamese market but also in the world, over the years, Masan has carried out many activities towards sustainable development goals, combining and harmonizing business goals with social responsibility and environmental protection. This is reflected in the business philosophy that the Group has chosen, "Doing well by doing good". If interpreted according to traditional Vietnamese culture, it is the motto "give and you will receive".

Having participated in the food market for many years, Masan quickly became one of the leading units in the field of providing clean agricultural products, through the establishment of WinEco Company in 2015. After 9 years of development, this company has provided the market with over 150 types of fruit and vegetable products that have achieved safety certifications from Global GAP, VietGap and Organic. On average, WinEco supplies about 3,000 tons of fruit and vegetables to more than 3,700 WinMart/ WinMart+/ WIN supermarkets each month. This large output comes from 14 WinEco farms nationwide with a total area of over 3,000 hectares. The entire cultivation process is strictly controlled, using the most modern equipment and technology from partners such as Israel and Japan to help standardize from sowing to packaging.

Phát triển xanh của — MHT's biofilter area

Not only focusing on controlling the quality of goods and services provided to consumers according to "green" standards, Masan also deploys a series of solutions to realize the "green" policy, minimizing the impact on the environment. 100% of WinEco's products are packaged with biodegradable materials. WinEco also uses kraft paper and biodegradable plastic bags to harvest and package products instead of conventional shrink film and plastic bags, thereby bringing the community comprehensive "green" products.

WinCommerce Company, another member of Masan Group, has deployed a series of green solutions at its WinMart/WinMart+/WIN supermarket and store systems, including replacing nylon with 100% biodegradable bags, minimizing or replacing single-use plastic materials with environmentally friendly items.

Committed to being "green" to the environment, Masan has invested extensively in advanced wastewater treatment systems, applying strict standards to monitor the impact of production activities on the surrounding environment. Typically, Masan Consumer has invested in building modern wastewater treatment systems designed by Dutch partners at factories in Binh Duong, Hai Duong and Nghe An. Masan MEATLife's high-tech pig farm in Nghe An has also invested in a modern wastewater treatment system.

Among its subsidiaries, Masan High-Tech Materials has a waste recycling rate of more than 30% of the total generated volume, while approximately 7.8 million m3 of wastewater is reused, accounting for 76.1% of total water consumption in 2023. The company develops sustainably according to the circular economy model, focusing on recycling, developing green products and aiming for green growth.

In early December 2024, CHIN-SU (a brand of Masan) joined hands with the "Poor Students in the Highlands" fund to continue its second year of accompanying disadvantaged students. With a total budget of 10 billion VND, the program is expected to provide more than 1 million meals with meat for students at nearly 100 schools in 9 provinces in the Northern mountainous region and the Central Highlands. The "One Million Meals with Meat" project is the beginning of a long-term journey for the community.

Sustainable Development Strategy

The "sweet fruits" from the business philosophy of "giving to receive" and the current business context have motivated Masan to choose sustainable business as a systematic development strategy. One of the moves that shows a breakthrough in Masan's awareness of sustainable development is that this enterprise has established an ESG Committee (Environment - Society - Governance). Masan is probably the first Vietnamese enterprise in the consumer-retail industry to establish such an organization. And it also shows that Masan aims to ensure that sustainable development goals are comprehensively implemented, becoming the backbone of the Group's strategy.

ESG is an action area that includes pillars that measure factors related to the orientation and sustainable development goals of the enterprise. ESG practice is currently a trend of enterprises around the world because more and more markets, especially large markets such as the EU, the United States, etc. are applying sustainable production standards and green production to goods. This poses a problem for enterprises, if they want to enter large markets, participate in and lead the supply chain, they must develop green and sustainably.

"Masan Consumer's ESG strategy is fully aligned with the Group's ESG strategy, prioritizing the issues that are most important to our business and stakeholders, focusing on areas with the greatest impact. Our ESG strategic framework is aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards. We are committed to creating value for consumers and stakeholders by driving innovation for sustainable growth, caring for the environment and communities, employees and customers," said a representative of Masan Group.

Starting in 2022 and continuing in 2023 and 2024, Masan has integrated Environmental, Social and Governance issues into its operations by identifying ESG topics that are important to its business and value chain through materiality. The Group also targets, defines key performance indicators (KPIs), develops action plans and implements a highly effective governance structure to achieve those targets. It is known that Masan has invited one of the Big 4 global auditing and consulting firms to assess and advise on sustainable development.

It is known that Masan Group does not stop at complying with regulations but also aims to become a pioneer in the field of sustainable development in Vietnam. That means institutionalizing ESG by integrating it into corporate strategy, business plans and KPI indicators, so that all our activities, from businesses, employees to suppliers, have a sense of responsibility and raise standards in daily work.

Many experts believe that green growth is no longer the future but an inevitable trend. Businesses should not approach sustainable development as a factor that must be complied with, or wrapped up in the framework of social responsibility (CSR) or even as a "branding trick" but must perceive it as an optimal development strategy. Sustainable business helps businesses increase their internal strength to overcome unprecedented difficulties, something that is no longer rare in a business environment containing many non-traditional factors like today.

Masan Group scored a 'hat-trick' in three outstanding ESG categories, continuing to be honored as one of the Top 50 Sustainable Enterprises in 2024, at the announcement ceremony on August 2, 2024. Accordingly, Masan is the leading unit in the Listed Enterprise Sector to achieve all three ESG categories: Sustainable Resource Management (E), Human Resource Strategy for Sustainable Development (S) and Excellent Corporate Governance (G). Also in 2024, Asia's leading HR magazine - HR Asia honored Masan Group as "Best Place to Work in Asia 2024".

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/phat-trien-xanh-cua-ong-lon-nganh-tieu-dung-ban-le-20250125145738999.htm