The implementation of sustainable development strategies to reach targets is a major challenge, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD) Vu Duc Dam told the National Conference on Sustainable Development 2018 in Hanoi on July 5.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the national conference in the afternoon.
“Implementing goals for sustainable development is a big challenge and requires ministries, sectors, enterprises, and the people change from words to action,” Deputy Prime Minister Dam said. The government has approved an action plan and resolutions and programs for sustainable development and improving national competitiveness.
The conference was organized by the National Council on Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the World Bank (WB).
With the theme “Enhancing Competitiveness, Realizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Amidst Industry 4.0”, the conference brought together some 600 representatives from ministries, industry, international organizations, embassies, experts in the field, and the business community.
Opening the conference, VCCI President and VBCSD Co-Chair Dr. Vu Tien Loc said he firmly believes that Vietnam will continue to thrive and become an upper-middle-income country within the next two decades, with impressive achievements in social equity and fairness and effective State management.
He stressed the need for consensus among and efforts from all of society as well as support and cooperation from international organizations.
Mr. Ousmane Dione, the WB’s Country Director in Vietnam, highlighted major factors that may reshape Vietnam’s economy in the future, including the transforming of trade models, the rise of the brainpower-based economy, climate change, and population aging.
He introduced important findings in the WB’s report on Vietnam’s future employment, including the significance of the efficient exploitation of these factors, or else future employment cannot be ensured. In order to reach sustainable growth goals, Vietnam must optimize the efficiency of resources such as institutions and human resources while grasping major trends to ensure the employment structure is smooth and efficient.
Within the framework of the conference, the VCCI and the Ministry of Planning and Investment introduced a high-level forum on partnering for green growth and the global goals 2030 (national P4G forum).
The form aimed to bolster public-private partnership to contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, through the realization of green growth. In the morning were four sessions. Session 1 was the Circular Economy - Partnerships for Green Growth, including:
✓ Updates on government policies related to environment management, waste disposal, and others issues;
✓ Updates on the dynamics of the circular economy worldwide;
✓ Sharing of experience in implementing initiatives and related business models to help businesses interested in the circular economy become more aware of the path to successfully deploying the model;
✓ Further engaging the business community in implementing green growth-oriented business models; and
✓ Providing recommendations to the government and the business community on the successful implementation and replication of circular economy-oriented business models.
Session 2 focused on the future of works: Jobs and the Role of the Private Sector in Modernizing Vietnam, including:
✓ Promoting dialogue between State management agencies, local and international development organizations, and the business community on how to build a solid labor market to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0;
✓ Sharing business’s ideas and practices in human resources development and management strategies in the current context; and
✓ Providing appropriate recommendations and proposals to the government and the business community to ensure the future of jobs amid Industry 4.0.
Session 3 was Sustainability Reporting and the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI), including:
✓ Updates on the Program on Benchmarking and Announcing Sustainable Companies in Vietnam 2018 and the adoption of the CSI in sustainability reporting;
✓ Sharing business’s experiences and initiatives in sustainability reporting and corporate governance towards sustainable development; and
✓ Providing recommendations to the government and the business community to help the business community do better in their reporting and enhance transparency in production and business information, thereby improving their competitiveness.
Session 4 was on Harnessing Innovation for Productivity and Competitiveness Growth, including:
✓ Disseminating the latest knowledge and best practices on promoting innovation and technology adoption;
✓ Sharing the experiences and initiatives of enterprises in implementing innovations; and
✓ Providing recommendations to the government and the business community on developing a plan for innovation, thereby improving labor productivity and competitiveness.
In 2015, along with 192 UN member countries, Vietnam officially adopted 17 key SDGs in the 2030 Agenda.
In order to realize these 17 SDGs, in May 2017 the Prime Minister signed a decision on issuing a national action plan to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
(source: http://www.vneconomictimes.com/article/vietnam-today/conference-held-on-implementing-sustainable-development-goals)
