Climate action as a shared task: How Vietnamese participants of Partnering in Business with Germany are helping governments and companies meet their climate goals

From 8-10 March 2024, around 100 alumni of the Partnering in Business with Germany programme met with representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the German business community for a networking event in Vietnam.

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The event, entitled “Shaping the future: Digital solutions towards climate neutrality”, provided Vietnamese entrepreneurs with a platform for exchange and opportunity to network with German businesses in Vietnam.

The focus of the event was on how business activities can be made climate-neutral. This is an ambitious goal shared by many governments and companies worldwide and a task that cuts across all sectors and industries. Attendees all shared the view that meeting climate targets is a global task, and that achieving carbon neutrality is an important but very ambitious goal given the countries’ situations and policies. All members of society and the workforce need to play their part, not least in the political arena. Manuel Palz, deputy head of the division responsible for Partnering in Business with Germany at BMWK, underlined that policymakers need to work to create the right (business) conditions. In addition, an alumnus of the programme opined that the economic growth and climate neutrality must not be conflicting targets, but that the right balance had to be struck between investment and benefits in this area.

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©GIZ/Phan Thanh Hung

As part of the networking event, working groups met to discuss a range of direct and indirect measures for reducing carbon emissions and considered active efforts that could be made to strengthen sustainability, such as calculating one’s carbon footprint and embedding sustainability aspects in corporate strategy. Integrating these aspects in business requires a willingness for companies to put changes in place, especially within management processes. It is not enough to have the right digital solutions: these also have to be flanked by bilateral relations on technology, knowledge transfer and a strong innovation network. The programmes offered by the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce and Bremeninvest in Vietnam point up the benefits of German-Vietnamese networking towards achieving this common goal.

©GIZ/Phan Thanh Hung

Vietnam has developed into an attractive base for German companies. In recent years, an increasing number have been settling in Vietnam in order to reduce their dependence on China. These companies can benefit from low labour costs and the rapid economic growth in the region. Interest in the Vietnamese procurement market is growing and German investment could accelerate, particularly in the area of wind farm development. The Vietnamese government is currently developing a new legal framework for investments in renewable energy. This new dynamic can be further strengthened by incorporating sustainability aspects and using digital tools.

Vietnamese companies offer outstanding digital expertise and also show great interest in technical applications coming from Germany. One Vietnamese entrepreneur spoke enthusiastically about her experience in Germany, where she was able to call up information on a product’s contribution to reducing carbon emissions by scanning a QR code on the packaging. She now plans to introduce this technology in Vietnam.

©GIZ/Phan Thanh Hung

Over 800 Vietnamese entrepreneurs have completed the Partnering in Business with Germany (PG) programme over the past 16 years. In political talks in Hanoi, representatives from both Germany and Vietnam underlined how all of these graduates have great potential for developing innovative ideas to advance the energy transition. Lauding PG and the programme’s unique approach, Director-General for Foreign Economic Relations at the Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment, Pham Hoang Mai said: “You want to go fast – you go alone. You want to go far – you go together”. In 2025, Vietnam and Germany will celebrate 50 years of bilateral cooperation. This is also a good opportunity to promote Partnering in Business with Germany, its potential and the network it has spawned, which has continued to expand and develop over the years.