On August 16, Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD) convened a general meeting to introduce to the business community and related organizations the Executive Board, action plan and report on the past period and the Council in general. VBCSD Executive Board also reported to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, Chairman of National Council for Sustainable Development, and role of business community on the implementation of the orientation for sustainable development strategy in Vietnam. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Ph.D Doan Duy Khuong, VCCI Vice-President and VBCSD Co-chair on the issue. Dang Yen reports.
Will you please tell us the activities of VBCSD in the recent past and orientation in the years to come?
VBCSD was established by the government and started operating on December 17, 2010. With such establishment, VCCI, representative of Vietnamese business community, becomes standard bearerin the implementation of the orientation of national strategy for sustainable development. After seven months of activities, VBCSD has achieved initial successes in the mission to activate and support business community in implementing the orientation of sustainable development strategy in Vietnam.
With four main tasks: promotion of communication and awareness, training, research, and international cooperation, VBCSD has demonstrated its action orientation and role in issuing monthly bulletin, organizing seminars and workshops on knowledge, experiences, and practices in Vietnam and the world, participating in international conferences and seminars on sustainable development to promote Vietnamese business role, competitiveness and integration in the region and the world, serving as a bridge between government authorities and business sector to communicate information and recommendations in implementing programme of sustainable development. VBCSD has also its official portal
www.vbcsd.vn to update information and activities of VBCSD and its member companies.
Regarding the government, VBCSD has increased cooperation with various ministries and agencies to implement Programme of Action 21 – orientation of sustainable development strategy in Vietnam; dialogue, recommendations and providing input to the development and amendment of policy and regulations on sustainable development and promoting integration with the world economy.
In 2011-2015, VBCSD will focus and promote the efficiency of the four main tasks as well as programme of action, increasing the awareness of business community and society on sustainable development in four main areas: energy and climate change, development, education, and biosphere.
From now to the year end, VBCSD will send its Secretariat staff and member companies to Laos and Cambodia to assist the establishment business councils for sustainable development in the two countries.
Could you elaborate further on the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, Chairman of National Council for Sustainable Development?
At the meeting, we reported to the Deputy Prime Minister the activities of VBCSD in the past seven months and orientation of activities in 2011-2015. The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that VBCSD objectives are correct and in line with the orientation of National Strategy for sustainable development and asked VBCSD to assist and promote the role of Vietnamese businesses in the modernization of sustainable development industries such as clean industry, environment protection technology. The Deputy Prime Minister believed that VBCSD will record more successes in promoting investments and environment protection technology in Vietnam.
The Deputy Prime Minister also asked VBCSD to report to him twice a year on its activities, and the next meeting will be in February 2012. Accordingly, related ministries and agencies will also attend the meeting to heighten the role of VBCSD in the implementation of the orientation of sustainable development strategy in Vietnam (National Agenda 21) drafted by Ministry of Planning and Investment, Energy Saving Strategy sponsored by Science and Technology Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), and National Objectives Programme on climate change prepared by Hydrography, Meteorology and Climate Change Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment).
Sustainable development is a new concept, how would you say about it?
Sustainable development is indeed a new concept, a pressing demand and inevitable trend of the world. It aims at balancing between: growth, environment protection and social welfare. Therefore, it is a real challenge to Vietnam in the process of accelerated industrialization and modernization, requiring proactive participation of the business community in the implementation of sustainable development strategy in 2011-2020.
Accordingly, Vietnamese businesses should regard sustainable development as a long-term goal. They should not focus only on profit but also the harmony with environment and social responsibility.
Therefore, business strategy combined with sustainable development should lead to creativeness and renewal to increase productivity, product quality and application of environment friendly technology. However, the application of technology should be carefully studied so as to increase the strength and reduce the weakness of the businesses. It is a big problem for VBCSD to coordinate Vietnamese and foreign companies in developing sustainable development programme in Vietnam – a main task of VBCSD.
Meanwhile, business culture and human resources development are also core factors of businesses to attain sustainable development. Business leaders should realize the importance of business culture in setting standards for mission, goal and driving force of development. Subsequently, they can put forward orientation for development and most efficient use of human resources.
Besides, strategy management must comply with the law, fairness and social responsibility. It would help business leaders to maximize human resources and ensure business success and sustainable development.
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