HCM City (VNA) – As developing eco-friendly, new-generation industrial parks helps address climate change and pursue sustainable growth, the Southeast region, the country’s most dynamic economic engine, has jumped on the bandwagon to create a competitive edge in luring high-quality investments.
An inevitable trend
Following its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces, Ho Chi Minh City currently manages 66 export processing zones and industrial parks with steadily expanding scale and potential. Between 2025 and 2030, the city aims to attract 20 – 21 billion USD in new investment, prioritising high-tech, value-added, and environmentally friendly industries. Five key parks, namely Tan Thuan, Hiep Phuoc, Tan Binh, Cat Lai, and Binh Chieu, are being restructured towards green, high-tech, and circular operations.
Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park is set to become the city's first ecological industrial zone after joining the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme for 2020-2023 - a UNIDO initiative supported by the Swiss government. From meeting only 44% of the criteria in 2020, the park achieved 76% compliance by late 2023 and is projected to reach 88% soon.
Dong Nai province has also been a pioneer, chosen by the Ministry of Finance to pilot eco-industrial zones with the ambition of replicating the model nationwide. The province has set its sights on becoming a national leader in the green industry, reinforcing Vietnam’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. By 2030, Dong Nai aims to rank third nationwide in economic scale, with industry and construction already accounting for over 58% of its economy.
Meanwhile, Tay Ninh province has recently broken ground on the 170-hectare Thu Thua Industrial Park worth nearly 3 trillion VND (114 million USD). The park is designed as a smart, green hub, attracting clean industries such as electronics, logistics, supporting industries, and high-tech agriculture. The project will integrate renewable energy, advanced wastewater treatment, optimised transport systems, and worker services, building a sustainable industrial ecosystem.
Challenges and opportunities
Vietnam pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 at COP26 and is translating that goal into action through various policies. As the country’s third-largest industrial cluster, Ho Chi Minh City is well-positioned to lead the shift toward a low-carbon industry.
Experts said building net-zero industrial parks not only helps the city expand its reach to green export markets but also affirms its leading role in environmental protection and sustainable development. However, they underscored various challenges during the conversion.
The city’s key industrial zones, spanning 2,900 hectares and employing 160,000 workers, consume more than 70% the total energy used by energy-intensive firms citywide. Their energy intensity is 1.7 times the city’s average. Sectors such as steel, cement, electronics, and textiles face steep challenges, with steel production requiring costly low-emission technologies, while cement remains heavily dependent on coal.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority, green transition has been accelerated and seen as a crucial pillar in the sustainable development strategy. Beyond green infrastructure, ecological industrial parks require comprehensive changes in terms of management, operation, and cooperation between enterprises.
In Tay Ninh, authorities are enhancing the province’s Provincial Green Index (PGI), expanding environmental monitoring, and requiring impact assessments for new projects. Advanced wastewater monitoring and greenhouse gas control systems are being installed across major industrial sites.
In the coming time, the province will continue its measures to lure high-tech and environmentally friendly projects. It aims to become an important growth pole of the country, leading in green and ecological industry park development while delivering on the net-zero target./.
