The Vietnam Industrial Park Forum 2023: Towards green growth will be held by The Investor at 8:30 a.m Thursday, November 16 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and Vietnam’s Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE), the event aims to assess the current situation and identify potential and opportunities for industrial parks and economic zones, as well as discuss measures to lure investment to them in the new context.
Solutions to promote sustainable development in industrial parks and economic zones in Vietnam are expected to be raised.
The forum will be attended by representatives of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, the National Assembly's Economic Committee, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, and provincial industrial park and economic zone authorities.
Economic experts, representatives of business associations, domestic and foreign businesses and investors will also be present at the event.
In recent years, sustainability factors in attracting investment to industrial parks have received increasing attention from many investors.
This is a core factor to attract foreign investment, said Vu Minh Chi, industrial senior manager at real estate service provider Avison Young Vietnam.
"Sustainability or ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) criteria are becoming increasingly important for foreign investors, especially manufacturers from developed markets like North America, Europe, and Northeast Asia,” he said.
Not only looking for land to build factories, they are also interested in the ecosystems surrounding industrial parks and sustainable development criteria such as social infrastructure (education, health care, entertainment), waste treatment, local human resources training, residential areas and accommodation facilities, andd housing for workers and experts, he added.
These items have not received due attention, and localities should consider adjusting planning schemes or allowing businesses to invest in building these facilities to optimize private resources, Chi commented.
“In the eyes of foreign investment funds, ESG has become a core element in their real estate investment strategies towards net zero,” he added.
According to economic experts, industrial parks and logistics facilities that meet these standards not only bring prestige and better profits to investment funds and save operating costs, but also attract more tenants than traditional IP models. This is why foreign investment funds and developers are focusing more on sustainability factors in the construction investment process.