Grass is greener on the other side

After success in testing progress, Vietseed Co., Ltd is closely cooperating with the Nha Ho Research Institute for Cotton and Agricultural Development, based in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, on studying, experimenting, and overcoming the inherent weakness of elephant grass, as well as processing fresh material ready for the mass-production of pellet fuel from elephant grass biomass. The EU is one of the top four markets for Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports, Photo: Le Toan In addition, based on its long-term orientation, Vietseed has started different programmes such as adopting biotechnology in propagating elephant grass to reduce the cost of new planting and expanding growing areas; collecting and evaluating genetic resources; developing and selecting new elephant grass varieties; and analysing CO2 absorption, aiming at net-zero carbon. “The company established a team to do all research work from field trial to mechanisation of planting, harvesting, … [Read more...] about Agro-groups crafting solutions to curb GHG

The approval of Vietnam’s circular economy development plan, announced in June, aims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent of GDP by 2030 (as compared to 2014). The commitment at COP26 by Vietnam to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is considered the main call for investment into green technologies and friendly-environmental projects, as well as approval of plans such as the aforementioned circular economy one. These messages have sent a strong signal regarding the country’s direction towards low-carbon, green development, and a circular economy, and could be a new driving force for Vietnam’s sustainable socioeconomic development, helping to improve its competitiveness and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. While governments have committed to lowering CO2, companies are also following suit for the good of the planet, Photo: Shutterstock As a result, numerous groups have made decisions in terms of investment and other operations … [Read more...] about Green standards top policies for fresh foreign ventures

Lam Son, a Hanoian, first learned about the nomadic lifestyle after watching American movies depicting mobile homes parked in the middle of vast valleys. This was the source of inspiration for the Vietnamese YouTuber to set out on his first road trip in a mobile home with his family a couple of years ago. Son converted his old Mercedes Sprinter into a mobile home fully equipped with essential items for long-haul road trips. “This was originally a van. When traveling, my family members sit in the driver’s cabin full of safety equipment. We only use the renovated part on the back of the vehicle at rest stops or campgrounds,” the 35-year-old said. Since he renovated his first mobile home, the Son family has traveled to many parts of Vietnam on the vehicle, bringing exhilarating experiences to their two children. He expects the road trips will make their childhood more colorful and help them unplug from screens to fully experience van life. Lam Son's children view … [Read more...] about American movies inspire Vietnamese family to take memorable van life road trips

A VND170-billion (USD7.32 million) hospital project in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has been left idle because of its ineffective operations. Many households in Phu Loc District’s Loc Thuy District had to relocate 15 years ago for Chan May General Hospital. But it now sits abandoned covered by wild grass. The hospital is covered by wild grass The project that was intended to be a provincially-ranked hospital, was put into operation in 2013. It was outfitted with modern equipment, including two hemodialysis machines worth VND1.2 billion (USD52,173) each. However, since being bought, the two machines remain unused. A representative from the hospital explained that the hospital lacked staff as well as supporting equipment such as ventilators and electroencephalography machines for the two machines to operate. The two hemodialysis machines have been left unsued to date Initially, the hospital had 250 beds. But since April 21 last … [Read more...] about Major Thua Thien-Hue hospital largely abandoned

The Hoang Quan and Century City real estate projects which sold well thanks to being located near Long Thanh International Airport remain largely unused. The two projects were implemented after Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province got the go-ahead. Hoang Quan Real Estate Company’s Hoang Quan project was the first property project implemented to benefit from Long Thanh International Airport project. The five-hectare project which was built in 2010 has 21 semi-detached houses and 78 villas. Most of the houses have been sold. But a majority remain empty. Many houses left abandoned near Long Thanh International Airport A woman from Long An Province said that her family spent VND5.5 billion to buy a villa in the project in 2012. However, over the past 10 years, she has not yet been provided with the land ownership certificate. Therefore, it is quite difficult for her family to resell it. Meanwhile, the house has started deteriorating. … [Read more...] about Property development near Long Thanh International Airport abandoned

Digital payment service provider Visa announced earlier this week the launch of Visa Eco Benefits in the Asia-Pacific region in order to meet increasing demand for sustainable financial services. Eco Benefits is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments, the multinational company said in a press release on Wednesday. They can calculate the carbon footprint generated by their Visa transactions, and access options for carbon offsetting or charitable donations from their bank’s website or app. Banks in Asia Pacific that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet a growing demand for sustainable financial services. Sixty-six percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions, according to a new Visa/YouGov survey. Over half (52 percent) would switch … [Read more...] about Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific

Visa last week announced the launch of Eco Benefits in Asia-Pacific. It is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments. Over half of Vietnamese consumers now regularly shop online and expect to be able to pay by card Banks that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet the growing demand for sustainable financial services. According to a new Visa/YouGov survey, 66 per cent of consumers in Asia-Pacific expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions. Over half (52 per cent) would switch banks in order to access a product or service that helps them understand the carbon footprint of their spending. In Vietnam, Eco Benefits aligns with the National Green Growth Strategy for 2011-2030 by promoting greener lifestyles and sustainable production. The new product is also in line with the … [Read more...] about ECO-FRIENDLY payment initiative launched by Visa

This event promoted sustainable knowledge exchange and urged BAEMIN employees to take concrete action to protect the environment as well as embrace a greener lifestyle. The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world. According to the latest apparel market research, a consumer will discard approximately 31.75 kg of old or no-longer-used clothes on average each year. Annually, the environment also suffers from more than 500 million tonnes of textile waste, 84 per cent of which is burned, resulting in 12 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding the impact brought about by clothes usage on the environment, BAEMIN collaborated with Piktina to implement the internal clothes exchange day Dare 2 Rewear. BAEMIN is also the first company to participate in this campaign which seeks to build a sustainable fashion ecosystem and promote greener lifestyles organised by Piktina. Dare 2 Rewear was open for all employees of BAEMIN in offices across the … [Read more...] about BAEMIN leads sustainable lifestyle through clothes exchange day

The award is an initiative of Nhip Cau Dau Tu – a leading business magazine in Vietnam - to recognize and honor enterprises that have contributed to sustainable development, environmental friendliness, and social justice in Vietnam. Having undergone rigorous audits by the Panel of Judges - representatives of HSBC, Deloitte Vietnam, FTI Consulting (Singapore), Talentnet, and the Institute for Circular Economy Development - on assessment criteria including stable growth, sustainable culture, corporate governance, environmental protection, and social responsibility, AkzoNobel has been recognized as a sustainable enterprise in the category of FDI companies. “As Vietnam is one of our key growth markets, we are implementing one of our largest investment programmes outside Europe, by expanding existing manufacturing sites with innovative sustainability features also enhancing our contribution to local communities. Thus, we’re honored to receive the recognition by the TOP50 Corporate … [Read more...] about AkzoNobel Vietnam honored in TOP50 Corporate Sustainability Awards 2022

Representatives of HSBC and Ree signed a loan agreement. — Photo coutersy of HSBC HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd is the sole bank to arrange a green loan of VND900 billion for the Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE Corporation). This loan deal will help one of the Vietnamese leading multi-sector corporations complete E-Town 6, a high-rise office building that has earned the LEED Platinum certification for its sustainable design. This is the first time HSBC has arranged a green loan to finance a real estate project for a Vietnamese corporate. The seven-year term loan has reaffirmed HSBC’s leading position in providing sustainable financial solutions to businesses in Viet Nam. To achieve this green financing, REE Corporation completed HSBC’s stringent credit approval and management process of sustainable funding. The process is overseen by HSBC Asia Pacific Sustainable Loans Committee, the dedicated body of the bank with rich experience in successfully arranging … [Read more...] about HSBC Vietnam grants bilateral green loan to REE Corporation