On 27 November 2025, the Green Economy Forum (GEF) 2025 successfully took place in Hanoi, co-organised by EuroCham Vietnam and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The event welcomed distinguished guests including of leaders from the Vietnamese authorities, EU Delegation and diplomatic corps representatives, CEOs, investors, and sustainability strategists from Europe, Southeast Asia, and across Vietnam.
This year’s Forum opens against the backdrop of an exceptionally volatile climate year. In his welcome remarks, EuroCham Chairman Bruno Jaspaert highlighted that extreme weather events in Vietnam have caused an estimated 3.22 billion USD in economic losses as of 24 November, making it one of the most severe damages in 50 years. Mr. Jaspaert emphasised that “green transition is a must-win battle,” noting that Vietnam’s economic ambitions cannot be sustained without a decisive shift towards long-term climate resilience and sustainable development.
At the Plenary session, Mr. Jaspaert also announced the remarkable success of EuroCham’s rapid “50 for 1” solidarity campaign, through which the European business community contributed 70,000 USD (approximately 1.83 billion VND) within just 24 hours to support recovery efforts in Central Vietnam. This response, he said, reflects the deep commitment of European enterprises to Vietnam’s sustainable development.
VIETRADE Director General Vũ Bá Phú called for deeper EU–Vietnam cooperation in digitalisation, green skills, and investment to accelerate sustainable growth. EU Ambassador Julien Guerrier reinforced the EU’s long-term commitment to Vietnam through initiatives such as the Green Deal, JETP, and Global Gateway, noting that EU companies “stand by Vietnam’s side in building its future.”
The morning also featured a leadership keynote by Dale Hardcastle of Bain & Company, presenting insights from the Southeast Asia Green Economy Report 2025, and a practical industry perspective from Arthur Neeteson of APM Terminals (part of Maersk Group), who stressed that decarbonisation can go hand-in-hand with efficiency and competitiveness.
A high-level panel moderated by EuroCham Vice-Chair Erick Contreras brought together all speakers in the morning session and Ms. Loan Pham of BNP Paribas Vietnam for a dynamic discussion on resilience as a strategic advantage for Vietnam.
In the afternoon, GEF 2025 features 9 deep-dive conference sessions and 3 interactive workshops. These discussions will explore Vietnam’s priority sustainability areas – clean energy, green finance, urban development, sustainable agriculture, AI and workforce readiness, water resilience, and green manufacturing. Each session is designed to translate global insights into practical steps that Vietnamese businesses, policymakers, and communities can implement today.
Stay tuned as a comprehensive GEF 2025 Report will be published by EuroCham Vietnam, consolidating key takeaways, policy recommendations, and forward-looking insights from all sessions.
