Overcoming numerous applications and meeting stringent criteria to be honored at the Vietnam ESG Awards (part of the Vietnam ESG Forum), corporate leaders shared that they feel an even greater responsibility and pressure to perform well.

“Businesses have never viewed ESG as a short-term marketing campaign or activity. Instead, ESG is directly integrated into our business strategy, governance system, and overall production operations,” emphasized Mr. Pham Xuan Hoa, Deputy General Director of Super Truong Phat Plastic Group, to Dan Tri Newspaper reporters. The company has been recognized at the Vietnam ESG Awards for two consecutive years.

The Greater the Honor at the Vietnam ESG Awards, the Greater the Pressure to Excel

Having navigated a rigorous selection process to be recognized at the Vietnam ESG Awards, the leader of Super Truong Phat stressed that this accolade brings increased pressure. The biggest shift lies not in receiving a title, but in the obligation to perform better and operate with complete transparency regarding their public commitments.

Organized under the Vietnam ESG Forum initiated by Dan Tri Newspaper, the Vietnam ESG Awards have served as a powerful catalyst for recognized enterprises. Beyond title recognition, the awards bolster trust among customers, partners, and investors while unlocking collaboration opportunities within the circular economy.

Mr. Hoa shared that after their first win, Super Truong Phat shifted its focus from merely "executing ESG activities" to building a data-driven, quantifiable ESG framework. The enterprise launched a greenhouse gas inventory, enhanced management of energy, water, raw materials, and supply chains, and published its sustainability report aligned with international standards.

A similar trajectory is evident at Thien Long Group (Stock Code: TLG), which received the Vietnam ESG Award 2025 in the category of “Integrating ESG into Long-Term Governance Strategy.”

Ms. Mai Phuong, Head of ESG at Thien Long, noted that this recognition holds special significance. It acknowledges their effort to embed ESG into the corporate governance structure under the 2025–2030 ESG roadmap, rather than keeping it as isolated initiatives. The award has also strengthened internal confidence that ESG is not a "compliance burden," but a core component of long-term governance capability.

Thien Long’s leadership highlighted ongoing efforts to operationalize ESG through dedicated personnel and clear measurement tools. On the human resource front, the company organized ESG training for 80 mid-to-senior level managers group-wide, along with specialized deep-dive training across the Environmental, Social, and Governance pillars for an ESG Core Team of over 30 members from subsidiaries and manufacturing plants.

Furthermore, the group established a GRI-standard data collection system across all three pillars at its NTL and TLLT factories, while developing an ESG Competency Framework for designated ESG roles.

At Gamuda Land, leadership views the award recognition as a strong motivation to push forward their long-term sustainable development roadmap. The Vietnam ESG Awards serve as an inspiration to integrate and spread ESG principles across all business operations, inspiring customers, partners, and the broader community toward a more sustainable future.

According to its target plan, the company aims to reduce carbon emission intensity by 30% by 2025 and 45% by 2030, anchored on four strategic pillars: Sustainable Planning and Design; Environmental Protection; Community Development; and Digital Transformation. The company consistently adopts advanced construction methods, sustainable materials, and climate-resilient urban planning principles to enhance long-term value and project resilience.

Looking at the broader picture, ESG is essential for sustainable growth, helping businesses maintain a competitive edge as international standards become increasingly strict—especially as Vietnam launched its official carbon market on June 29. Enterprises emphasize that ESG will serve as a vital driver propelling Vietnam's transition toward a green, high-quality growth model.

Significant Challenges Remain, Yet Enterprises Remain Committed to ESG

Despite the momentum, real-world execution still faces notable hurdles.

According to Ms. Mai Phuong, one of the primary challenges is that integrating ESG KPIs into annual business plans has not yet been fully standardized across the group. Consequently, the ESG team must continuously build consensus and demonstrate value before institutionalizing these targets.

In addition, the current ESG department functions primarily as a coordinating unit that aggregates data from functional departments (human resources, manufacturing, procurement, communications, production) rather than directly owning technical data, making data quality and consistency across the organization a key challenge.

“Implementing ESG is a long-term journey requiring sustained investment in people, technology, and governance systems, alongside an organization-wide mindset shift. The most critical challenge is balancing initial capital investments in sustainable solutions with the long-term value these investments yield for the business, environment, and society,” added Mr. James Lai Siaw Pin, General Director of Gamuda Land Vietnam.

He further noted that building consensus and commitment to ESG across the entire value chain—from employees and contractors to suppliers, partners, and customers—requires time, persistence, and strong leadership guidance.

For Super Truong Phat, Mr. Hoa noted that early adoption of ESG requires allocating significant resources during the initial phase.

In the banking and financial sector, Nam A Bank leaders pointed out that enterprises and financial institutions face difficulties accessing unified ESG standards, particularly regarding data required for green evaluation and taxonomy.

The bank hopes to see more long-term support mechanisms in the near future, such as preferential financing policies for green projects, a completed national ESG standards framework, and enhanced support for businesses connecting with global markets, technology, and international capital sources.

Despite these hurdles, businesses recognize ESG as an essential path forward and remain fully committed to investing in sustainable development. They firmly believe ESG will provide clear competitive advantages in risk management, market positioning, brand reputation, and long-term partnership opportunities

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