Green Economy Forum and Exhibition – GEFE 2024: Building a Green Future
From October 21 to October 23, the Green Economy Forum and Exhibition – GEFE 2024 took place in Ho Chi Minh City. The event was co-organized by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham Vietnam) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
General information about the event
The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son; Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc; Vice President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas; Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of Finland Ville Tavio; Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania Inga Ziliene; Deputy High Commissioner for Trade of the United Kingdom for Southeast Asia Rhiannon Harries; Ambassador, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam Julien Guerrier; Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Yuko Yasunaga and leaders from EU and Vietnamese corporations and businesses.
Key events and activities scheduled in the context of GEFE 2024 include the Opening Ceremony, the Green Economy Exhibition Tour, and the High-level Plenary Session, all taking place on 21 October 2024. This session will be attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son along with leaders from relevant ministries and sectors of Vietnam. In addition, the Vice President of the European Commission and senior officials of the European Union, as well as representatives of businesses from both sides, will meet to discuss sustainable development policies, national energy strategies, and climate risk management, all aimed at advancing the National Strategy for Green Growth 2021-2030.
Cooperation between Europe and Vietnam
Mr. Alain Cany, Chairman of the EuroCham Advisory Council and Head of the GEFE 2024 Organizing Committee, stated that Europe has emerged as an important export market for Vietnam, currently the largest exporter from ASEAN to Europe. From the beginning of the year to September 2024, Vietnam’s preliminary import-export turnover reached 578.47 billion USD, up 16.3% over the same period last year. The trade balance of goods recorded a surplus of 20.79 billion USD, of which exports to the EU reached 38.1 billion USD, up 17%. This shows the potential for increasingly efficient and high-quality development and growth between Vietnam and the EU.
In terms of FDI, the European Union ranks sixth in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam in the first half of 2024, including 2,450 projects and a total accumulated investment capital exceeding 28 billion euros. Despite the recent decline in global FDI flows, EU companies continue to explore and implement important investment initiatives in Vietnam.
To maintain their prominence and promote further development, manufacturing and exporting companies in Vietnam must understand the new legal landscape, especially the challenges and opportunities brought by the European Green Deal.
Detailed activities taking place within the framework of GEFE 2024
Within the framework of GEFE 2024, there will be ten discussion sessions covering 30 topics related to green areas such as:
- Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
- Sustainable Finance
- Carbon Reduction in Commercial Manufacturing
- Green Building and Construction
- Circular Economy
- Solutions to the Water Crisis
- Sustainable Food and Agriculture
- Sustainable Tourism
- Digitalization and New Technologies
- Enhancing the Green Workforce.
These sessions will bring together government leaders, experts, academics, innovation researchers and policy makers from Europe, Vietnam and Southeast Asia, providing Vietnamese and EU businesses with important insights into the technologies, policies and regulations that are shaping Vietnam’s sustainable future. This dialogue will act as a bridge to enhance cooperation between the European and Vietnamese business communities, ultimately contributing to the promotion of a green, sustainable economy in Vietnam through the exchange of innovations, ideas and technology transfer.
In addition to its main responsibility as co-chair of GEFE 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has actively cooperated with EuroCham to facilitate the Green Economy Expo, which will feature over 200 businesses and exhibition booths from both Europe and Vietnam. At the same time, to further support Vietnamese enterprises in establishing direct connections with large European corporations in various fields, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized a trade connection conference with the participation of nearly 100 leading enterprises from both Vietnam and Europe.
Source: Multiple sources
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