VCCI Supports Businesses to Enhance Competitiveness

Speaking at the training course, Mr Nguyen Cuong, Director of VCCI Danang, said, to have successful integration, enterprises must understand technical standards and barriers of target countries and enhance their corporate social responsibility to move towards clean, green production. For that reason, understanding ISO 14001:2015 - one of the most popular environmental management standards in the world - is sorely needed.

 

He added that ISO 14001:2015 will help improve companies businesses with guaranteed environmental performance by effectively using resources, reducing waste, increasing competitive advantage, advancing sustainable development, and building up the prestige and trust of consumers, employees, partners and the society as a whole.

 

According to many experts, in the context that Vietnam’s environmental policy - an important area standing before the contradiction of rapid industrialisation and modernisation target with protection and sustainable use of natural resources, building capacity for Vietnamese enterprises in environmental management is essential.

Besides, consumers not only want to use high-quality but also environmentally friendly goods. The adoption and application of ISO standards not only helps businesses to integrate, not to be left behind but also improve competitiveness and affirm their positions on the world market.

 

In Vietnam, businesses are aware of the importance of exercising corporate social responsibility towards sustainable development. Many companies are applying ISO 14001 environmental management standards, mainly in food processing (sugar, seafood, beverages, etc.), electronics, chemicals (oil gas, paint, plant protection chemicals), construction materials, tourism and hotel. However, applied cases are still small.

 

Many companies attribute this reality to insufficient resources, capital, equipment, production lines, science and technology. Investment for applying advanced technical standards to production, particularly agriculture, is difficult. Some even frankly admit their limited awareness and understanding in environmental protection, social responsibility and ISO standards, and they only apply to meet situational requirements.

 

According to many professionals and businesses, to deal with this situation, more measures and policies of the State are needed to support businesses to raise their awareness and understanding of social and environmental responsibility, as well as understand the importance and the value of complying and applying this ISO standard.

 

Experts also particularly noted that an environmental management system needs regular assessment to know its status to have additional preventive and innovative measures to handle environmental issues. Unlike quality management, environmental management represents corporate responsibility to the community and the society. Therefore, to build and apply environmental management systems, business leaders must be truly voluntary and express their commitment. For a country, the commitment is reflected in the Government's policy on environmental protection.

 

During the training course, businesses were guided on ISO 14001:2015 requirements, methods for deployment in the business, and steps to apply ISO 14001.

Besides, trainees learned about Vietnam’s environmental laws and roles of environmental management systems. This helped companies to build their image and enhance their brand name together with environmental and social responsibility, effectively use resources, reduce waste, and adopt cleaner and energy-saving production measures in the business.