[Hanoi, 6 November 2025] In a world where climate change, resource scarcity, and global trade tensions increasingly test global resilience, one truth stands clear: sustainable growth begins from within – through stronger economies, deeper partnerships, and shared purpose. Against this backdrop, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) will host the Green Economy Forum (GEF) 2025 in Hanoi on 27 November 2025. With the theme “Shaping Changes, Building Futures”, GEF 2025 continues EuroCham’s flagship green initiative, bringing together policymakers, business leaders, and innovators to turn climate ambitions into actionable solutions.
[Please access event photos HERE]
Why the Green Economy Matters Now
The urgency of the green transition has never been greater. Vietnam is already feeling the effects of climate change – from severe flooding in the capital to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns across the nation. These events threaten livelihoods and communities alike. Yet, amid these challenges lies an opportunity: to future-proof growth through sustainability, resilience, and innovation.
Across continents, governments are racing to reconcile energy security with decarbonisation, to modernise infrastructure while protecting ecosystems, and to ensure that prosperity benefits both people and planet. Europe leads this race through transformative frameworks like the European Green Deal, Global Gateway, Net-Zero Industry Act, and Circular Economy Act – all designed to anchor industrial competitiveness in climate resilience.
This shared vision strongly resonates in Vietnam. As one of Asia’s most dynamic emerging economies and a nation firmly committed to Net Zero by 2050, Vietnam is modernising its energy system, reforming its electricity market, and expanding renewable capacity – balancing affordability with long-term competitiveness.
EuroCham Chairman Bruno Jaspaert shared at the press conference: “I may not yet represent the largest investor bloc in Vietnam, but I represent one that invests with purpose. European investment focuses on sectors that truly drive sustainable development – those that matter not only for today’s growth but for generations to come. As reflected in EuroCham’s Green Business of the Year Awards last week, it is not only large enterprises with the resources to invest in sustainability; many SMEs are also growing from green roots, innovating for a better, more sustainable future for us all.”
Frameworks such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and the Global Gateway are further aligning environmental and economic goals between the EU and Vietnam.
Echoing this partnership, H.E. Mr. Julien Guerrier, EU Ambassador to Vietnam, shared: “As you may have seen at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels last month, the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) continues to deliver concrete EU financial commitments for energy transition projects – marked by the signing of a €430 million JETP financial package between Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn and EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela. In times of global uncertainty, partnerships like the one between the EU and Vietnam matter more than ever. I am confident that in the years ahead, our cooperation will continue to deepen and bring tangible benefits to our businesses, our people, and above all, our planet.”
From GEFE to GEF: A Growing Movement
The Green Economy Forum builds upon EuroCham’s Green Economy Forum & Exhibition (GEFE) legacy – first launched in 2022 to foster open dialogue between public and private stakeholders on climate resilience and sustainable investment.
After three impactful editions – GEFE 2022, GEF 2023, and GEFE 2024 – which welcomed dignitaries such as Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (now NATO Secretary General), and several EU Commissioners including Valdis Dombrovskis, Margaritis Schinas, and Virginijus Sinkevičius, the 2025 edition will further elevate these discussions in a focused, high-level format.
With an emphasis on in-depth conference discussions and actionable dialogue, GEF 2025 introduces a reimagined structure featuring:
- 9 high-level conference sessions on Vietnam’s sustainability priorities,
- 3 hands-on workshops co-hosted by European bilateral business associations,
- 1 keynote address by a global thought leader in the green economy, and
- 1 networking evening fostering lasting partnerships.
Each session bridges the EU’s Green Deal and Global Gateway vision with Vietnam’s realities – translating strategy into solutions that connect policy with investment, and ambition with delivery.
Inside GEF 2025: Turning Climate Ambitions into Action
Mr. Nguyễn Phan Đính, Member of the GEF Programme Taskforce, Co-Chair of EuroCham’s Green Growth Sector Committee and Head of Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency, explained: “GEF 2025 is not just about frameworks – it is about how sustainability can be lived and applied daily. Whether it is cleaner transport, more efficient homes, or smarter manufacturing, every discussion here connects directly to how society and businesses operate.”
From clean energy to green skills, this year’s nine conference sessions will bring sustainability to reality – connecting global trends with real actions businesses and communities can take today.
- Renewable Energy (DPPA): Exploring how Direct Power Purchase Agreements (DPPA) enable companies to source renewable energy directly, strengthen competitiveness in green supply chains, and meet global net-zero goals within Vietnam’s evolving electricity market.
- Innovative Clean Energy: Exploring how businesses can reduce energy costs and emissions – turning compliance into savings, resilience, and opportunity through smarter infrastructure, financing, technology, and capacity building.
- Sustainable Finance: Unlocking green growth through innovative instruments such as green bonds, blended finance, and sustainability-linked loans – helping enterprises of all sizes access capital for climate-aligned projects.
- Circular Economy: Showcasing Vietnam’s progress on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and how forward-looking companies are turning waste into value through smarter product design, recycling partnerships, and innovation-driven compliance.
- Blue-Green Cities: Reimagining urban and industrial planning through blue-green infrastructure (BGI), focusing on stormwater management, environmental protection, and sustainable design to make cities more resilient and liveable.
- Sustainable Construction: Learning from European green housing models to deliver affordable, low-carbon, and climate-resilient homes that improve quality of life while supporting Vietnam’s rapid urbanisation.
- Agri-Trade: Engaging policymakers, farmers, and exporters in open dialogue on aligning Vietnam’s agribusiness with EU sustainability standards, featuring practical discussions on traceability, climate-smart farming, and digital certification.
- Digitalisation: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and data analytics to optimise resource use, improve energy management, and accelerate Vietnam’s leap toward a smarter, cleaner, and more efficient economy.
- Bridging the Green Skills Gap: Addressing the urgent shortage of trained professionals in sustainability-related fields by rethinking vocational training, higher education, and corporate upskilling in collaboration with educators, policymakers, and industry experts.
Each conference session at GEF 2025 will feature a diverse lineup of speakers and panellists, ensuring well-rounded discussions with perspectives spanning government, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society. The dialogues will bring together representatives from both the Vietnamese and European governments, global institutions, local NGOs and consultants, multinational corporations, and Vietnamese enterprises. Among the confirmed speakers are Mr. Renzo Moro, Agricultural Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Vietnam; Ms. Loan Pham, CEO of BNP Paribas Vietnam; Ms. Dang Nguyet Anh, Viet Nam NPAP Manager at UNDP Vietnam; Mr. Alessandro Antonioli, CEO, Copenhagen Offshore Partners & Senior Representative, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners in Vietnam; Mr. David Edgardo Falcon Adasme, Director of ESG at VinFast; and Mr. Douglas Snyder, Executive Director of the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC).
Team Europe Spirit to Fuel Vietnam’s Green Ambitions
Continuing the collaborative spirit that defines EuroCham’s green agenda, Ms. Pauline Dutertre, GEF Project Manager and EuroCham’s Head of Marketing & Communications, noted: “A highlight of this year’s forum is the trio of hands-on workshops led by our fellow European business associations – continuing the Team Europe spirit from last year’s GEFE. These workshops are designed to offer participants not just ideas, but practical pathways to act.”
The workshops include:
- Sustainable Urban Development & Mobility: European Solutions for Vietnam’s Cities: addressing public transport, EV infrastructure, and eco-district planning to make Vietnam’s cities cleaner and more connected – led by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vietnam (CCIFV).
- Financing Green Growth: Practical Tools for SMEs: offering concrete examples from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg on ESG-linked loans, green bonds, and blended finance models for smaller businesses – led by the Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV) and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (Beluxcham)
- Green & Innovative Manufacturing Supply Chains: sharing German best practices on energy-efficient production, resource recovery, and circular design that can boost Vietnam’s manufacturing competitiveness – led by the German Business Association (GBA).
Additionally, GEF 2025 is powered by the businesses driving Vietnam’s sustainable growth, including Diamond Sponsor APM Terminals. Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ky, Senior Advisor at Maersk for Vietnam, Asia & Middle East, shared how APM Terminals integrates energy-efficient, digitally advanced and low-carbon practices across its port and logistics operations. These decarbonisation benefits will support Vietnams goals for GDP growth, the energy transition and public health as Vietnam strengthens its role in global supply chains. He also highlighted the urgency of deploying technologies implemented globally – a commitment reflected in APM Terminals’ proud support for this year’s Green Economy Forum.
Looking Ahead: From Dialogue to Delivery
At the close of the press conference, Chairman Jaspaert extended an invitation to the wider business community: “At EuroCham, we see Vietnam’s transformation not just as an economic story, but as a collective mission. GEF 2025 will be a space for solutions – where ideas become partnerships and ambition becomes action.”
Over the past 35 years, Europe and Vietnam have evolved from aid to alliance, from dialogue to delivery. Today, both stand as co-creators of sustainable growth and stability in an increasingly complex world.
As GEF 2025 approaches, EuroCham calls on policymakers, innovators, and businesses to join forces in shaping a future where Vietnam not only grows faster, but greener and wiser – setting a benchmark for sustainable development across Asia.
GEF 2025 – Shaping Changes. Building Futures. Together.
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About EuroCham Vietnam
Founded in 1998, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) has established itself as the unified voice of the European business community in Vietnam. With offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, we represent a diverse spectrum of companies, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises to multinational corporations. EuroCham plays a crucial role in shaping policy dialogues, fostering bilateral trade and investment, and fortifying economic ties between Europe and Vietnam, particularly within the framework of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
EuroCham Vietnam boasts a substantial membership base comprising over 1,400 companies, solidifying its position as one of the largest foreign chambers operating in Vietnam. We function as the “chamber of chambers,” encompassing nine prominent national European business associations in Vietnam, which include:
- Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (Beluxcham)
- Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CEEC)
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry Portugal-Vietnam (CCIPV)
- Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV)
- French Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vietnam (CCIFV)
- German Business Association (GBA)
- Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (ICHAM)
- Nordic Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (Nordcham)
- Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (SCCV)
EuroCham’s diversified influence is underpinned by our extensive network of 19 specialised Sector Committees. Serving as think tanks within their respective industries, these committees provide invaluable expertise, steer policy recommendations, and stimulate industry-specific dialogues. This organisational framework guarantees that the concerns and viewpoints of diverse sectors are actively considered, thereby moulding EuroCham’s cross-sectoral agenda and magnifying its overall influence.
For more information about EuroCham, visit: www.eurochamvn.org.
For media enquiries, please contact:
EuroCham Vietnam Media & Communications Officer
Ms. Tram Hoang – tram.hoang@eurochamvn.org
