The event was co-organised by the department and the media centre under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE).

Vietnam is one of the first countries to have embraced the green growth model. In 2012, the Government issued the National Green Growth Strategy for 2011-2020, with a vision towards 2050. After 10 years of implementing the strategy, the awareness of the public and businesses about the importance of green growth have remarkably improved. They have gradually changed their production and consumption behaviours with practical actions, contributing to materialising the green growth model.

Vietnam has set 750 standards to spur green growth, towards the commitments to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and having 75% of energy from renewables by 2045. The green economy’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to increase from 6.7 billion USD in 2020 to 300 billion USD by 2050.

The workshop focused on waste management, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, carbon market organisation and development, and the roadmap to fulfill Vietnam's commitments at 26th UN Conference of Parties (COP26) towards green growth and sustainable development.

The participants also looked into the models of green economy and circular economy, and solutions taken by localities to put the green growth model in place.

By 2030, Sơn La targets greening economic sectors; changing the growth model, applying the circular economy model through the economical and efficient exploitation and use of natural resources and energy, utilising digital technology and digital transformation, developing infrastructure sustainably, bringing into full play its competitive edge, and minimising negative impacts on the environment.

The digital economy is projected to contribute around 15-20% to the locality’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), while the forest coverage (including the area of fruit trees on slopes) is targeted at 50%; and high-tech agricultural production is set to account for 30-40% of the province’s total agricultural value. About 39,700 hectares of crops will follow VietGap, GlobalGAP, and equivalent standards. Approximately 19,200 hectares will use water-saving irrigation systems. The province’s annual GRDP growth rate in the 2021-2025 period is expected to stand at 7.5%./.