Four out of five businesses surveyed said that provinces and cities prioritize purchasing environmentally friendly goods and services and are willing to pay higher prices, according to the Provincial Green Index (PGI) survey.
The above information was stated by the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in the report on the Provincial Green Index (PGI) 2024 on May 6.
Among green indicators, public procurement in provinces and cities has seen significant improvements from the business perspective. Of the more than 10.000 businesses participating in the survey, 83% said that the government has prioritized purchasing goods and services from environmentally friendly suppliers, an increase of 13% compared to the previous year.
In terms of price, 79% of businesses said the government is willing to pay higher prices for green products and services, an increase of 14%.
Rao Bridge, Hai Phong 5/2025. Photo: Le Tan
In addition, most businesses are satisfied with the government’s response to mitigating the impact of natural disasters. 85% of businesses were warned in advance of impending environmental incidents. Four-fifths of businesses received support after natural disasters, and noted that infrastructure was repaired quickly.
In addition to the government's drive to promote green practices, legal regulations are also a reason for green growth for businesses. However, the rate of businesses receiving guidance on environmental compliance from authorities decreased slightly compared to last year. In addition, 11% of businesses consider environmental inspections a burden. 50% of surveyed businesses admitted to having to pay "informal fees" to environmental inspectors in 2024, much higher than the rate of 22% last year.
The report's implementation team recommends that authorities improve the quality of inspection and compliance procedures to ensure that these activities are effective and promote green upgrading for businesses.
The Green Index is designed to support provincial and municipal governments in environmental management, balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability goals. This index is calculated on a 40-point scale, including 41 indicators divided into 4 component indicators.
Considering all the indicators, Hai Phong is the city with the highest PGI ranking in the country, with a total score of 29. Following are Vinh Long (28,16 points), Ha Nam (28,04), Bac Ninh (27,78) and Binh Duong (27,64).
With these scores, the highest-ranking localities are still quite far from the maximum score. In addition, the statistical difference between the highest-ranking and lowest-ranking provinces and cities in the rankings is very small. The report's authors believe that the main reason is that localities only choose to focus on one or two aspects of green behavior.
Another reason is that the national green growth strategy is still being implemented quite slowly, and has not been deeply integrated into provincial socio-economic development plans. In many localities, green growth action plans have been approved and issued, but they lack specificity, and some programs are not even suitable or feasible with the basic economic conditions of the province or city.
According to the VnExpress