Ho Chi Minh City seeks public-private partnership to promote sustainable green growth

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai (right) during a meeting with Finnish Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio on the morning of October 21 - Photo: NGHI VU

On the morning of October 21, within the framework of the Green Economy Forum and Exhibition (GEFE) 2024, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai had a meeting with Finnish Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.

Mr. Tavio took this opportunity to lead a high-ranking Finnish delegation to pay an official visit to Vietnam from October 21 to 23. The visit focused on connecting businesses and further promoting cooperation between the two sides.

Speaking with the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Minister Tavio said that Finland is one of the leading countries in wastewater treatment and water resource management, and is ready to share solutions with Ho Chi Minh City.

Regarding Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Mai said that the trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and Finland in 2023 will reach more than 35 million USD. Finland currently has 24 investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City with a total registered capital of more than 27 million USD. "The above figures are encouraging but still modest compared to the potential of the two sides," Mr. Mai added.

In addition, Ho Chi Minh City highly appreciates the capacity of many Finnish enterprises in areas such as ports, logistics, energy infrastructure, as well as waste and wastewater treatment... Mr. Mai affirmed that these areas are potential areas to increase cooperation and trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh City and Finland.

Exchanging information with European investors at the plenary session, the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee said that as the largest economic, financial and cultural center of Vietnam, contributing about 26% of the country's GDP, the city is also facing many challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, infrastructure overload and rapid population growth.

To solve this problem, Ho Chi Minh City is restructuring its economy towards green growth through digital transformation and green technology with the immediate goal of reducing emissions by 10% by 2030.

Last September, the city issued a green growth action plan for the 2024-2030 period to promote green growth, sustainable development, circular economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, respond to climate change, contribute to poverty reduction and create momentum to promote sustainable economic growth.

This plan includes 14 task groups that are quite close to the topics discussed at GEFE. Therefore, through this forum, the city wants to listen and exchange experiences and international cooperation to learn from successful models in this field.

Leaders of Vietnam and other countries sign the Commitment Wall to share messages together on the journey towards a green future - Photo: GEFE 2024

"The city is developing a green transformation policy for businesses, while also seeking capital for green growth, especially water infrastructure, waste and emissions treatment. We promote a circular economic model, aiming to reuse and recycle resources. We encourage businesses to apply environmentally friendly and socially responsible solutions, as well as have many activities to improve capacity and community awareness," Chairman Phan Van Mai added.

Bruno Jaspaert, Chairman of EuroCham, said that GEFE 2024 demonstrates the shared determination of Vietnam and the EU to promote sustainable development. The participation of senior leaders and business experts confirms that stakeholders are turning words into actions, building a green future for future generations.

Discussions at GEFE also focused on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which helps countries accelerate energy transitions while ensuring sustainable growth.

“Vietnam is not only an important partner for Europe but also plays a key role in the EU-ASEAN partnership. Through platforms such as GEFE, we are opening up new opportunities to accelerate green investment and build a sustainable future together,” said Bruno Jaspaert.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang informed that Vietnam's preliminary import and export turnover from the beginning of the year to September 2024 reached 578.47 billion USD, up 16.3% over the same period last year. The trade balance of goods had a surplus of 20.79 billion USD, of which exports to the EU reached 38.1 billion USD, up 17%.

“This shows the potential for increasingly effective and quality development and growth between Vietnam and the EU,” she emphasized.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tp-hcm-tim-hop-tac-cong-tu-thuc-day-tang-truong-xanh-ben-vung-2024102111592748.htm