In his official dispatch  No. 17/CD-TTg, dated February 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh  requested several ministries to actively deploy measures to promote circular economy, sustainable production and consumption, and sustainable trade in line with EU's "green growth policy,” according to a report from the Government News.

In recent years, Vietnam and the EU have worked together to promote trade exchanges in a sustainable manner. The EU is the 3rd largest importer of Vietnamese goods, with $51.66 billion in 2024, up 18.5 per cent year-on-year.

However, Vietnamese enterprises are facing with fresh challenges since the EU's introduction of green policies, prompting the urgent need for Vietnam to take appropriate measures to meet these policies.

From that perspective, the Government requested the Minister of Industry and Trade to accelerate formulation and improvement of policies, regulations and standards on sustainable development and circular economy in accordance with Vietnam's international commitments.

The minister needs to focus on technical assistance for green transition to help enterprises to shift to sustainable production and business models; apply solutions to promote clean production and effective consumption of natural resources.

The minister needs to strengthen scientific research activities and technology application, innovation, and promote digital transformation to meet practical requirements and development trends of the digital economy and the 4.0 industrial revolution.

The ministry also needs to focus on research and development of new, recycled and renewable raw materials and fuels, green, environmentally friendly chemicals to create sustainable products.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment was urged to perfect legal regulations on environment protection and climate change; organizing the implementation of the national action plan on circular economy.

The minister needs to promote the formulation and implementation of policies and regulation on waste management; regulation to recall discarded and expired products; and regulations to limit the disposal of toxic waste in products and in sectors significantly affected by the EU's green policies.

The minister needs to promote the application of solutions to classify waste at source, to increase collection, recovery, reduction, reuse and recycling of waste.

The Minister of Science and Technology was tasked to work with relevant ministries and agencies to review and perfect policies, regulations, standards in line with international regulations and standards.

The Minister of Construction, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Labor-Invalids and Social Affairs and other relevant ministries and agencies were tasked to coordinate with the Minister of Industry and Trade to support businesses in applying sustainable models of economical and efficient energy use, renewable energy, sustainable production and consumption.

Local leaders were assigned to promote waste classification at source; reduce, recover, reuse and recycle waste; support businesses in green transformation, innovation and technology application; and apply sustainable and circular models.

Local leaders were tasked to facilitate the development of models of industrial parks and ecological industrial clusters, promote circular chains to solve urgent problems of environmental pollution, promote the efficient and sustainable use of resources and energy, and develop recycled and renewable materials.

The PM entrusted Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son to oversee the implementation of this document./.