During the thematic session "Building Circular Business Ecosystem: Lessons Learned from Vietnam and Countries in the Global South" at the World Circular Economy Forum 2026, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director General of the Department of Science, Technology and Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (MOIT), addressed delegates attending in Gandhinagar (India) and online participants worldwide.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director General of the Department of Science, Technology and Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam
Circular Transition - A Core Pillar for SDGs
Opening her speech, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam Giang highlighted:
"The transition from a linear to a circular economy is taking place robustly, becoming a key pillar in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. For developing nations, including Vietnam, this journey opens up new opportunities alongside significant challenges, especially in the context of deep international integration."
While acknowledging the proactive efforts of Vietnamese enterprises, she noted that key export-oriented manufacturing sectors still face difficulties in aligning with stringent global circularity and sustainability standards.
Policy Frameworks and International Synergies To empower businesses, the Vietnamese Government and MOIT have established comprehensive policy mechanisms:
Issuance of MOIT’s Action Plan for Circular Economy implementation up to 2035.
Implementation of the National Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP 2021-2030), National Energy Efficiency Program (2019-2030), and Smart Manufacturing policies.
Execution of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MOIT Vietnam, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UNDP, focusing on: (i) Capacity building; (ii) Developing technical guidelines; (iii) Supporting enterprise-level circular model adoption.
Future Strategic Priorities Moving forward, MOIT prioritizes three main lines of action:
Perfecting regulations and technical standards for the circular economy.
Scaling up circular production practices backed by technological innovation, renewable material markets, and eco-labeling.
Strengthening integrated ecosystem linkages across industrial value chains.
EEI’s Role in Advancing Circular Economy With over 23 years of consulting experience, the Environment and Ecology Institute (EEI) remains a key partner supporting MOIT, UNDP, and international donors. EEI has directly spearheaded projects on developing guidelines, standards, and investable business models for SCP and Circular Economy, directly contributing to Vietnam's sustainable development vision.
Watch the full video recording of Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam Giang's speech below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SI90Ygy9vC_mcxXmEQqa49wRbYH9QCjm/view
© 2015 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY INSTITUTE
Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment
Address: 37E Van Mieu, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Tel: +84383417137 | Fax: +8438231366
Facebook: EEI
Email: eeivietnam@gmail.com
www.eeivn.com
