24 August 2024

In the general development trend of the world economy towards green, clean and sustainable, green logistics is no longer just a trend but has become an inevitable requirement to improve competitiveness and enhance brand image towards sustainable development.

For Vietnam, green logistics is not only associated with the goal of reducing net emissions to 0% (net zero) that Vietnam committed to at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP 26), but is also an important premise and condition for bringing Vietnamese export goods to many international markets, thereby enhancing the brand and position of Vietnamese goods in the world market.

Port freight transport in Tan Thuan, Ho Chi Minh City

The National Strategy on Green Growth for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, has set the goal of "greening" economic sectors, promoting economic restructuring associated with growth model innovation, environmental sustainability and social equity. The Prime Minister has signed and issued Decision No. 882/QD-TTg approving the National Action Plan on Green Growth for the 2021-2030 period, in which logistics services are one of the 18 key topics of the plan.

In the first 6 months of 2024, the total import-export turnover of the whole country is estimated to reach 370 billion USD, an increase of 15.7% over the same period in 2023, with a trade surplus of 11.63 billion USD. Logistics plays a very important role and makes a very important contribution.

According to Mr. Do Xuan Quang, former Chairman of the Federation of Southeast Asian Freight Forwarders Associations (AFFA), former Chairman of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association, Permanent Deputy General Director of Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company, green logistics simultaneously governs all three economic, social and environmental goals. Every effort of green logistics not only helps businesses meet the increasing demands of the community and the market, but also creates new opportunities and helps strengthen their competitive position in the international market. To achieve the goal of green logistics, it is necessary to focus on managing the green supply chain and closely linked to the management of its links, including green transportation (using means of transport that generate lower emissions such as electric vehicles using clean energy, waterway transport), green packaging (using recyclable, reusable packaging, packaging using biodegradable and biodegradable materials, etc.), green warehousing (warehousing using clean and efficient energy, sustainable construction design), green logistics data management (applying technology to effectively manage data, improve logistics efficiency, minimize transportation and delivery time), reverse logistics (increasing the reuse of products, packaging, materials; remanufacturing and refurbishing) ...

When those links are all "green", businesses can improve production capacity, operational capacity; at the same time, forming a green, sustainable ecosystem revolving around the business.

At a recent working session with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Mr. Turgut Erkeskin, President of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), said that in the current situation, logistics plays an important role, but is facing great challenges. Mr. Turgut Erkeskin highly appreciated the Vietnam Logistics Services Development Strategy for the period 2025 - 2035, with a vision to 2045, especially in digital transformation, green transformation and Vietnam's commitment to reduce net emissions to zero by 2050. Believing that Vietnam has great potential to become a logistics center of the region and the world, the FIATA President proposed that Vietnam needs to mobilize all social resources to develop this economic sector. In order for Vietnam's export goods to reach the world market, expand market share in demanding markets with high export value, along with other sectors of the economy, the logistics industry needs to promote and accelerate further in the process of implementing the industry's green logistics goals to accompany the country's common goal for sustainable development.

Source: Cong an nhan dan