Vietnam Economic Times January, 05 2026

Dear readers,

The year 2025 has come to an end, with many memorable milestones reached during Vietnam’s continued journey towards national development and defense, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Alongside the achievements, however, remain numerous difficulties, challenges, limitations, and even negative aspects.

Based on information Vietnam Economic Times has monitored, collected, processed, and published throughout the year, and from the unique perspective of a magazine specializing in economic information, we have selected the Top 10 socio-economic events considered the most prominent in Vietnam in 2025. This aims to help readers reflect on the significant achievements as well as the difficulties and challenges faced by the country’s economy, which has demonstrated strong resilience against unfavorable external impacts and natural disasters (floods and landslides) that hit historic levels in many localities.

These achievements are primarily attributed to the very high political determination of the entire Party, the armed forces, and the people of Vietnam in their great efforts to overcome all difficulties and challenges to achieve the goals set out in the socio-economic development plan for 2025 and the five-year plan for 2021-2025. During this process, a sense of national solidarity has been ignited through noble gestures to assist disadvantaged people nationwide and all others in disaster-affected areas, prominently including the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing, which was completed five years and four months ahead of the schedule set for 2030 under the 13th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No. 42-NQ/TW, dated November 24, 2023, on continuing to innovate and improve the quality of social policies. Following this program was a campaign launched by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 30, 2025, aimed at rapidly rebuilding and repairing homes for families whose houses were damaged by floods in central provinces.

In the process of Vietnam’s socio-economic development, our Party and State have consistently maintained a policy that social security, progress, equity, and the environment will not be sacrificed for mere economic growth. Accordingly, developing a green economy and a circular economy is a correct and strategic choice. The “Establishment and Development of the Carbon Market in Vietnam” project, approved under Prime Ministerial Decision No. 232/QD-TTg, dated January 24, 2025, is a strategic step to fulfill the country’s international commitments on climate change, especially the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Furthermore, the development of a carbon market is expected to assist the country in controlling emissions and open up new financial opportunities through the carbon credit exchange mechanism, and help businesses adapt to the world’s sustainable development trends.

To provide readers with the latest information on the initial preparations for the formation and development of a carbon market in Vietnam, from the legal framework to policies for building and completing the infrastructure necessary for such as market, as well as unlocking the potential of green carbon sources and seeking solutions to address “bottlenecks” in mobilizing capital for carbon projects, our Cover Story in the first edition of 2026 focuses on how a functional and successful carbon market will be established in Vietnam.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD