The eco-industrial park model is now being scaled up across multiple provinces with positive response from business community.

The eco-industrial park is a special model in which businesses participate in production activities to create green products and optimise resource use. This industrial park model focuses on the connection and cooperation between businesses in the same industrial park to promote symbiotic production activities.

By 2030, Vietnam aims for 40-50% of localities to convert existing industrial parks into eco-industrial parks and 8-10% of localities have orientations to build eco-industrial parks right in their plan making.

The development of eco-industrial parks is an effective solution to lower emissions enough to meet the net zero target by 2050 in Vietnam. However, there are still many obstacles, especially in terms of mechanisms.

Businesses, factories, industrial parks and export processing zones need to have road maps and measures for switching from traditional to green models to meet the global sustainable trend and enhance their competitiveness, and attract investment, a seminar heard in Ho Chi Minh City on August 8.

Eco-industrial parks are important to counter climate change, developing the green industry, ensuring energy security, and demonstrating the Government's political determination to sustainable development, said insiders.

Amidst worsening environmental pollution and natural resource exhaustion, the circular economy model emerges as a visionary solution for the society and economy.

Vietnam aims to become a developed country by 2045 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It is considered an ambitious goal but also a challenge for a developing country like Vietnam.

Developing eco-industrial parks towards net zero emissions was the focus of discussions during a recent seminar held in Hai Phong city’s Nam Cau Kien industrial zone by the Mekong ASEAN Magazine under the Vietnam-ASEAN Association for Economic Cooperation Development.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment, in collaboration with the UN Industrial Development Organisation and the Management Board of Industrial Zones (IZs), and Export Processing Zones (EPZs), held a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on March 29, discussing how to turn IZs and EPZs into eco-industrial parks (EIPs).

Developing eco-industrial parks is among important programmes within the Switzerland’s cooperation and development framework for Vietnam, Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Beatrice Maser Mallor said at a seminar in Hanoi on June 12.

The Ministry of Investment and Planning and the International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, co-organised a conference in Hanoi on December 21 to publish a report on technical guides for eco-industrial parks.

Developing eco-industrial parks would help Vietnam attract foreign direct investment and promote sustainable growth.

A symposium held in northern Hai Phong city on September 19 looked into the global trend of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) and their prospects in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) will include basic regulations on eco-industrial parks (EIPs) in some draft decrees to be submitted to the Government for consideration later this year.