Vietnam's city of Thai Nguyen serving as a springboard for a low-carbon future
Thai Nguyen, a province in northern Vietnam, is taking bold steps towards a greener future. The province has outlined three overarching goals: greening economic sectors, greening lifestyles and consumption, and ensuring a just, inclusive, and resilient green transition.
To foster green economic development, Thai Nguyen is building a supportive ecosystem. This includes the introduction of preferential credit policies, workforce training, green product certification, and promotion of international trade. The Chairman of Thai Nguyen People's Committee, Nguyen Huy Dung, has repeatedly stated that the province is proactively accelerating the green transition to meet the environmental standards of the EU and international markets.
In line with this, Thai Nguyen has tasked the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) with researching new policies from the EU, the United States, and Japan related to green transition. The DoST plays a pivotal role in advising policies to encourage the application of biotechnology, clean, and state-of-the-art technologies into production, particularly in the agriculture, industry, and environmental sectors.
Thai Nguyen launched its Green Growth Action Plan in 2021, setting a roadmap through 2030 with a vision to 2050 to support Vietnam's net-zero commitment. The province is also scaling up efforts for renewable energy infrastructure investment and development, especially rooftop solar and smart grid systems at industrial parks, aligning with Vietnam's Power Development Plan VIII.
The success of Thai Nguyen's green transition hinges on the active engagement of its business community. One example is TNG Investment and Trading JSC, a company based in Thai Nguyen, which has adopted a roadmap to fully use renewable energy, invest in energy-saving technology, use recycled materials, and apply factory simulation software to reduce resource consumption. TNG Investment and Trading JSC is also an early adopter of circular economy models in the garment and textile industry.
Thai Nguyen is collaborating with Korea Testing and Research Institute on the establishment of a Carbon Trading Centre in the province, expected to be operational in 2025 with an initial investment of $1-2 million. The province has also assigned relevant departments and Thai Nguyen University to jointly establish a Carbon Finance Centre, a Green Development Fund, provide green certification for industrial parks, and actively engage in international green transition networks.
Another notable example in Thai Nguyen is Thien Phuc Agricultural and Medicinal Cooperative, which operates a circular agriculture model that delivers high economic value while being environmentally friendly. Despite the promising start, Thai Nguyen still faces considerable challenges, such as the scale of circular production models remaining small and experimental, many enterprises being hesitant to invest in new technologies, and access to green financing being a significant hurdle.
Thai Nguyen is ramping up industrial park expansion to lure foreign investment and drive growth, with major initiatives unveiled ahead of National Day. The province's merger with Bac Kan marks a strategic shift, unlocking vast development potential and setting the province on course to become a dynamic industrial and urban hub in northern Vietnam.
In parallel, Thai Nguyen has intensified international cooperation to both learn and draw in resources for its green transition. Thai Nguyen province will participate in a national exhibition in Hanoi to commemorate the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2.
The active engagement of businesses, the adoption of green policies, and international cooperation are key to Thai Nguyen's green transition. As the province continues to make strides towards sustainability, it is becoming a trusted partner of global brands such as Nike, Adidas, Columbia, and Decathlon.
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