The event brought together policymakers, economists, academics and business leaders to discuss new growth drivers for Vietnam amid global economic uncertainty and geopolitical shifts.
Opening the conference, journalist Pham Tuan Anh, Editor-in-chief of Dantri/DTiNews Newspaper and head of the forum’s organising committee, said this was the third consecutive year the newspaper had organised the Vietnam ESG Forum.
He said the forum aimed to serve as a bridge connecting policymakers, experts, scientists and businesses while promoting awareness and action towards sustainable development in Vietnam.
The conference focused on three key issues: identifying new growth drivers amid global economic and geopolitical changes; clarifying the central role of businesses in institutional reform and infrastructure development; and proposing policy recommendations and business actions to help Vietnam achieve sustainable double-digit growth.
Pham Tuan Anh said ESG standards were becoming an essential “passport” enabling Vietnamese companies to integrate more deeply into global strategic supply chains.
“The pursuit of double-digit growth is no longer merely an aspiration but has become a high-level political commitment,” he said, adding that Vietnam’s growth targets must be accompanied by sustainability, inclusiveness and economic self-reliance.
Discussion sessions focused on the impact of geopolitical tensions, global supply-chain shifts and green standards on Vietnam’s long-term growth prospects.
Speakers also examined the role of digital transformation, science and technology, innovation, green transition and artificial intelligence in creating new growth drivers for the economy.
New international standards and mechanisms such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and net-zero commitments were also discussed, with participants debating whether they represented challenges or opportunities for Vietnamese businesses seeking deeper integration into global supply chains.