Promoting green consumption

Consumers visiting and purchasing green products displayed at the Green Startup Competition held in Ho Chi Minh City.

Today, consumers generally have a positive perception of the benefits of green consumption. However, a significant gap remains between awareness and action, as evidenced by consumers' limited priority to green consumption practices.

An inevitable and increasingly popular trend

Green consumption is becoming a significant trend in many countries, particularly developed nations, and is growing strongly in middle-income developing countries.

In Vietnam, green consumption is a key focus of the National Strategy for Green Growth for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision for 2050. It has garnered increasing attention alongside activities related to sustainable production and environmentally friendly consumption. However, promoting green consumption faces numerous barriers and challenges.

According to the "Green Consumption Awareness and Behaviour 2024" survey conducted by the High-Quality Vietnamese Goods Business Association, choosing green products and practising green consumption are not yet consumers’ top priorities.

The state of green consumption within communities remains relatively "dim". Even in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s two largest cultural and economic hubs, the proportion of green consumers is only about 12–18%.

Nguyen Van Phuong, Head of Market Research at the High-Quality Vietnamese Goods Business Association, noted that the survey shows domestic consumers have a fairly positive perception and attitude toward green consumption. Most are familiar with the concept and recognise its benefits.

The primary motivators driving consumers toward green products include health benefits and reducing environmental harm. Other factors include protecting natural resources, raising community awareness, and fostering responsible consumption.

The biggest barrier for consumers to green consumption today is the high cost of green products, cited by 78% of surveyed respondents. This is followed by limited availability (market coverage) of green products, a lack of guiding information, and the absence of policies to encourage green consumption.

In addition, consumer complaints about the quality of goods not meeting the manufacturers' commitments also serve as a barrier, reducing trust in green products on the market. In particular, 18% of consumers believe that green products have not lived up to their expectations.

The final barrier is the limited awareness of some consumers, especially those in rural areas, who have not fully recognised the importance of environmental protection in consumption. Their understanding of green consumption is still quite limited.

Motivation to promote green and sustainable production

Three key factors play a crucial role in promoting green and sustainable production, including the availability of green products, societal changes, and the price of green products. Among these, societal changes have a positive impact and serve as a driving force for green consumption behaviour.

Nguyen Van Phuong explained that green consumption is an inevitable trend and will become increasingly popular. According to a survey on green consumption trends, 59% of consumers said they would increase their use of green products and are willing to pay more to purchase them at different levels. Therefore, with several consumers supporting green products and accepting higher costs, green production and consumption have significant room for development. As the demand for green products increases and consumer shopping behaviour shifts toward green consumption, this will drive sustainable green production.

To encourage green consumption, experts suggest that relevant authorities must improve legal regulations, establish environmental standards for green products and sustainable practices, and create policies that protect consumer rights. The government should develop and refine the legal framework for green products, green consumption, and environmental protection, supporting businesses in increasing green production while ensuring consistency, transparency, and fairness.

Identifying key industries with the potential to develop green products is essential, focusing on supporting businesses that can leverage Vietnam's strengths. Policies should encourage the production of green products and services, such as providing investment capital to industries adopting clean technologies, promoting sustainable production, and prioritising renewable energy development, resource conservation, and green technology innovation.

Additionally, stakeholders must proactively invest in infrastructure for waste collection, treatment, and recycling through public-private partnerships. Special incentives should be offered to organisations and businesses investing in waste management and recycling to promote green production.

Businesses must take the initiative to improve production processes, upgrade technologies, develop clean and renewable energy sources, adopt sustainable production standards and processes, reduce emissions, conserve resources, minimise energy consumption, and prioritise using environmentally friendly raw materials.