Helping businesses adapt to green standards

As green standards reshape global manufacturing and trade, businesses are being compelled to rethink their approach to energy use.

Energy-intensive manufacturing sectors, particularly mechanical engineering, are under growing pressure to improve energy efficiency and enhance operational performance.

In addition to upgrading technologies and adopting smart energy management systems, many businesses are expanding their use of renewable energy, particularly rooftop solar power, to reduce emissions, meet export market requirements, and strengthen their competitiveness.

Green standards drive business transformation

After years of growth driven by abundant labor, expanding production capacity, and strong export performance, Vietnamese businesses, including those in Dong Nai, are entering a new phase of competition. Carbon footprints, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance have become key considerations for multinational corporations when selecting suppliers. As a result, businesses now compete not only on product quality and price but also on their ability to comply with green standards.

At a seminar on legal regulations governing energy use and efficiency and the development of rooftop solar power for private homes and public offices, organized by the Dong Nai Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT) in late July 2026, experts said industrial enterprises were facing a "dual challenge".

According to Le Viet Long, an expert from Vinacontrol Group Corporation in Hanoi, businesses face pressure from rising energy costs and the need to improve operational efficiency on the one hand, and increasingly stringent standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, pursuing sustainable development, and complying with international market regulations on the other. Optimizing energy performance is no longer merely a cost-cutting measure as it has become a strategic requirement for maintaining competitiveness.

Under Dong Nai's 2026–2030 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program, the city aims for 90 percent of industrial parks and 70 percent of industrial clusters to gain access to and adopt energy-efficient solutions. The program also sets a target for 50 percent of public offices to install rooftop power systems, while encouraging households to install rooftop solar systems for self-generation and self-consumption.

As a locality with numerous operating industrial parks, Dong Nai is directly affected by this trend. In practice, many foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises in Dong Nai have already moved ahead in the transition process. C.P. Vietnam Corporation has set a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 through measures such as conserving energy, using renewable energy, and managing emissions across its production and business operations. Around 34 percent of the company's energy consumption currently comes from renewable sources. It has installed rooftop solar power systems with a total capacity of approximately 51MWp, while phasing out coal in production and switching to biomass fuel for its boilers. Biogas from livestock waste is also captured, treated, and used to generate electricity at its farms, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The challenge extends beyond foreign-invested enterprises to domestic businesses. According to Nguyen Phuong, Chairman of the Dong Nai Wood and Handicraft Association (DOWA), the wood processing industry must adopt more professional, lean manufacturing practices and reduce material and energy consumption to expand its market share. Labor competition is expected to intensify, while the advantage of low-cost labor will gradually disappear. Improving productivity, he said, remains the only sustainable way to reduce production costs and raise workers' incomes.

Turning pressure into opportunity

As green standards become an essential requirement for participating in global supply chains, improving energy efficiency is no longer simply about reducing electricity consumption. Experts say businesses need to move beyond simply managing energy consumption to integrated energy management, combining technological innovation, digitalization, high-efficiency equipment, and renewable energy development.

C.P. Vietnam Corporation has installed rooftop solar power systems as part of its efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: Vuong The.

One solution attracting growing interest among Dong Nai businesses is investment in rooftop solar power systems for production. For exporters targeting major international markets, increasing the share of renewable energy in their operations also provides a competitive advantage as overseas buyers pay closer attention to the carbon footprint of products.

Rooftop solar systems deliver the greatest benefits when integrated with intelligent energy management systems. Real-time monitoring of production lines, electricity meters, and solar generation enables businesses to optimize electricity consumption, identify energy-intensive processes, and implement more effective energy-saving measures.

According to Pham Dang An, Deputy General Director of Ho Chi Minh City-based Vu Phong Energy Group JSC, the company has partnered with clients nationwide to develop numerous solar and renewable energy systems. It is committed to accompanying its partners throughout their 25-year green and digital transformation journey towards the shared goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

According to Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Director of the DoIT, Dong Nai's extensive industrial base offers ample rooftop space for on-site renewable energy development. This enables businesses not only to secure a more reliable electricity supply for production but also to meet international partners' increasingly stringent requirements on carbon reduction and clean energy use.

By V.The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho