Raising awareness about carbon neutrality for SMEs

Nearly 100 representatives from associations, organizations, departments, agencies, and businesses operating in the fields of industry, agriculture, transportation, energy, and waste treatment attended this seminar.

Currently, domestic and international businesses are paying great attention to sustainable development, green economy, and circular economy. Among them, ESG practices, expanding low-carbon trade barriers, environmental policy measures such as the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and carbon information disclosure are increasingly concerned. As global companies become more involved in international initiatives, there is also a growing need to disclose carbon information among their supply chain partners.

Vietnam commits to reducing national greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces are taking many specific steps, including carbon neutrality solutions, contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment.

In this context, the seminar is a necessary platform and a timely opportunity for SMEs to update the latest information to together respond more effectively to the current challenges of carbon neutrality.

The seminar brought practical presentations, consistent with future trends such as: measures for SMEs to meet the needs of carbon neutralized supply chain; guidance on carbon emission control for SMEs; calculate greenhouse gas emissions and emissions calculation tools; cases for responding to carbon neutrality in global supply chains for SMEs; business opportunities and risks related to carbon neutrality capacity; sustainable roadmap: carbon neutrality transition strategy for Vietnamese SMEs;

Businesses have captured detailed and specific useful information about the domestic and international context for net-zero initiatives, including policies and regulations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions; why do companies need to care about reducing emissions?; roadmap to net-zero; how green strategies contribute to achieving net-zero goals for SMEs; challenges to building a net-zero strategy.

At the seminar, businesses learned more about quantifying greenhouse gas emissions through calculation tools to contribute to improving the competitiveness of businesses in terms of carbon neutrality in ASEAN member countries.

SMEs Development Support Center 2 (SMEDEC 2) coordinates with ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) - Korea, and TSD Comprehensive Solution Development Company Limited (TSD) organized this seminar.

In 2017, in the spirit of cooperation based on trust and mutual support, ASEIC and SMEDEC 2 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement the ASEM Eco-Innovation Capacity Building project to develop common interests and sustainable relationships in the field of eco-innovation.

The ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) was established in 2011 by receiving an approval for its establishment and operation at the 8th ASEM Summit (October 2010). ASEIC is responsible for raising awareness of eco-innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs in developing countries .