Dong Nai (VNA) – The southeastern region, which leads the country in foreign direct investment attraction, has great ༒potential and motivation to attracthigh-quality investment, particularly those to green and sustainabledevelopment areas, heard a conference held in Dong Nai province on October12.

Speaking at theconference, which focused on green investment attraction to the region, Do Thien Anh Tuan,lecturer at the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management said that the Southeast region has 692 businesses subject to the requirement to make greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions inventory under the law. This is a big challenge, so a framework programme forthe implementation of the GHG emission inventory is needed, he said, addingthat the programme should be integrated into other programmes in the field of ministries andagencies. Financial solutions suchas green credit, green stocks, green bonds, and tax policies are also needed toprovide incentives and form carbon credit markets. Meanwhile, localitiesneed to promote inter-regional mechanisms, business environment reform, and humanresource training as well as have specific policies to encourage businesses toinnovate technology and shift to green growth models. Associate Professor Dr.Pham Tien Dat, Rector of the University of Finance and Marketing, said thatgreen investment brings not only positive impacts in terms of climate change adaptation and environmental protection but also great economic benefits. Investment in greenprojects, green technology, and green products helps change the community’sconsumption lifestyle and increase the competitive advantage, and reputation ofbusinesses, and countries. Moreover, businesses thatapply green technology will attract more capital from investors, and gain morecustomers, thereby increasing the value of the business. On the other hand,green projects can mobilise capital from banks at lower costs than usual. Nguyen Dinh Cung, former director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, said that the southeastern region has seen rapid development but its growth model for manyyears has not changed. Innovating the growthmodel of the region is an inevitable need, he said, suggesting the regionselect investors with high technologies, environmentally friendly, those usinglittle labour, and planting more trees. The southeastern regionmust also focus on waste treatment, especially wastewater treatment, he said./.