VCCI Joins Hands with UN to Promote Corporate Sustainability

Ms Mehta expressed her hope that the UN will cooperate with the VCCI/VBCSD to direct and promote Vietnamese companies to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), which were formally adopted by the UN in September 2015. Unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in the SDGs, the UN particularly calls the business community all over the world to join hands with governments and social organisations to address sustainable development challenges such as poverty, climate change and corruption.

 

For his part, Mr Vinh affirmed that VCCI/VBCSD always stands ready to cooperate with the UN to actively engage the business community in the implementation of SDGs in Vietnam. He added that promoting and supporting the Vietnamese business community to develop sustainably is one of key tasks of VCCI. Shortly after the UN announced 17 SDGs in September 2015, VBCSD compiled and released the SDG Compass, a guide to achieve SDGs for businesses.

 

VBCSD also is the national partner of Blue Number Initiative (BNI) of the UN. The initiative aims to help achieve the SDG 2: “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”.

 

In addition, water and sustainable energy, adaptation to climate change and green buildings (SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14 and 15) are also concerns of VBCSD. In 2014, with the cooperation of Holcim Vietnam Company, VBCSD launched the Report “Effective energy use - Mitigating climate change”. The council has also partnered with the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) to implement “Green Building” Report. These reports were then submitted to the Government of Vietnam together with their practical policy recommendations and were highly appreciated by government leaders.

 

VBCSD has coordinated with the Ethical Trading Initiative Norway (IEH) to carry out training courses on the code of conduct in the workplace, decent work and labour laws for Vietnamese suppliers, equivalent to contents of SDG 8 and SDG 10.

 

In the coming time, VBCSD is expected to boost activities relating to the circulatory economy. This economic growth model takes circulatory use of resources as the centre, reduces material consumption, improves production efficiency and minimises environmental impacts.

 

Mr Vinh added that VBCSD holds the Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum (VCSF) every year. This is an opportunity for the business community and stakeholders to update information on topics and new trends related to sustainable development, and learn and discuss effective solutions and business models, thus seeking out opportunities of potential investment and cooperation. The forum will also facilitate businesses to put forth recommendations to the government to support more effective sustainable development.

 

Especially, in 2016, VBCSD will, for the first year, rate companies of sustainability in Vietnam, using the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI). CSI is a measure of corporate value based on sustainable development criteria in economic, environmental and societal aspects. For the time being in Vietnam, CSI is supported and advised by top-notched experts from VCCI, Government agencies, domestic and international organisations, VCCI member companies, and other independent professionals. The rankings announcement ceremony in honour of most sustainable businesses in Vietnam is aimed to encourage businesses to constantly strive for sustainable development.

 

Ms Mehta and Mr Gilabert appreciated activities carried out by VBCSD/VCCI and hoped to further cooperate with VBCSD/VCCI on topics of mutual interest in the future. Ms Mehta also pledged to consider partnering and funding VBCSD to organise the Vietnam Corporate Sustainability Forum 2016 and launch the rankings of most sustainable companies in Vietnam.