Businesses Play Important Role in Sustainable Development

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Gary Schutz, CEO of Holcim Company and Co-chair of VBCSD, said that sustainable development is a global trend today. In recent years, enterprises’ awareness of sustainability and sustainable development has positively changed. More and more companies highly value and meet their responsibilities to society and environment. In their activities, a lot of enterprises not only pay attention to enhancing their own interests, but also focus on improving value for the community and the livelihood of their workers. He stressed that the challenges that change the perception of enterprises are climate change, population growth and environmental pollution. The co-chair of VBCSD proposed taking action to deal with these challenges.

 

Remarking on VBCSD’s results in the past year, Mr Nguyen Quang Vinh said, activities of VBCSD in 2012 were more positive than those of 2011 in both quantity and quality. VBCSD organised 11 seminars (on green growth and responsible business, etc.) with 1,045 participants and 17 training courses (on improvement of labour conditions, labour law changes, salary policy, etc.) for 1,081 trainees; and deployed training for minors in difficult circumstances.

VBCSD is a communication partner and advocate of the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) in the implementation of the Vietnam Business Challenge Fund (VBCF). VBCSD also coordinates with the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) in instituting common green building standards, incorporating the requirements of the green building policy on sustainable development of the country. In particular, VBCSD coordinates with the Support Program to Respond to Climate Change (SP-RCC).

Delegates were also interested in reports of Working Groups. Mr Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, Director of Sustainable Development of Holcim Vietnam, presented a policy recommendations report on Energy and Climate Change. Mr Tran Vu Hoai, Vice President of Unilever Vietnam presented a policy recommendations report entitled "Empowering Women in Economics." Mr Yannick Millet presented policy recommendations on green building.

Mr Daniel Oporto, Founding Member and Co-Chief of the group working on the poor, and Senior Advisor of SNV, said in the current difficult time, supporting low-income people becomes important, because it not only helps to maintain achievements reached in poverty reduction, it also provides sustainable development opportunities for businesses and for the country. This dual benefit is becoming a global trend with concepts such as “Inclusive business” and “Shared values.”

Mr Nguyen Quang Vinh stressed that the success of VBCSD in the past year has been attributed to the close guidance of the Government and the leaders of the VCCI, and close cooperation with ministries, local, national and international organisations, especially the active participation of its members and the business community.

In 2013, VBCSD will continue to organise training, research, international cooperation, and support local and strategic partners in implementing sustainable development initiatives; while deploying a number of activities in the field of improving competitiveness, because that is the benefit of doing business activities towards sustainable development.

The meeting also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on climate change between SD4B (VCCI) and the Bureau of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment- MONRE. The signing took place in the presence of Mr Tran Hong Ha, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and Dr Doan Duy Khuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In the afternoon, VBCSD leaders and members had a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan to report the results of the activities of VBCSD in the last six months of 2012, and heard the Deputy Prime Minister to direct activities for the future.