Attending the event were Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang and Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Tang Huu Phong, along with domestic and international experts and business leaders.
The highlight of the program was the launch of Vietnam’s first green B2B e-commerce platform, EcoHub (ecohub.arobid.com), along with the virtual EcoHub XPO3D exhibition, themed “No-Carbon City.”
The event took place at a pivotal moment, as Vietnam officially implements a two-tier local government model nationwide and Ho Chi Minh City transitions into a megacity. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has entered its initial implementation phase, requiring exporters to the EU market to ensure transparency in their emissions data.
These profound changes show that global trade is entering a new phase of development in which low carbon emissions, ESG standards, and transparent traceability are no longer optional but have become mandatory conditions for participating in global supply chains. In that context, the Green Trade Forum 2025 is not merely a communications initiative but also a practical action to build integration infrastructure for Vietnamese businesses where technology, policy, and market converge to create new competitive advantages.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of SGGP Newspaper, journalist Nguyen Khac Van, emphasized that as a media agency under the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, SGGP Newspaper always clearly defines its role as not only reflecting and propagating policies but also proactively creating values, connecting resources, and promoting practical actions. Therefore, for nearly two decades, SGGP Newspaper has consistently pursued a consistent orientation, including building a closed green business ecosystem from clean production and responsible communication to sustainable consumption and transparent digital trade platforms.
That journey began in 2006, when SGGP Newspaper launched the first Green Business Awards to honor pioneering enterprises specialized in technological innovation, emission control, and development associated with environmental protection. From a media initiative, the award has gradually become a reference system for green business standards in the Southern economic region. By 2010, SGGP Newspaper continued to expand its commitment by implementing the Green Consumption Campaign in partnership with Saigon Co.op and relevant authorities towards consumers, promoting responsible shopping habits, raising awareness of eco-friendly products, and supporting sustainable manufacturers. The campaign attracted millions of participants and grew into a nationwide social movement with far-reaching impact.
According to journalist Nguyen Khac Van, these ongoing efforts have been significantly expanded and elevated this year when SGGP Newspaper and Arobid Technology Joint Stock Company jointly launched Vietnam’s first green B2B e-commerce platform, EcoHub. Designed to support businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), EcoHub aims to help them overcome the challenges of green transformation. The platform provides tools for emissions measurement, transparent data disclosure, technology partner matchmaking, and market access, especially to regions with stringent environmental standards such as the European Union, the United States, and Japan.
EcoHub is more than just a commercial platform. It is a modern and transparent trade infrastructure designed to integrate businesses into responsible global supply chains while advancing ESG governance in line with international standards.
The infrastructure has been designed according to seven pillar industries, including energy, transportation, finance, consumer goods, materials, services, and digital technology, forming a comprehensive and open green trade framework. Also today, the organizers officially announced the action communication project, the EcoHub XPO 3D virtual exhibition, themed “No-Carbon City.”
It is a fully digitized model of a future city, integrating green solutions and smart technologies. This is not merely an exhibition but a communications symbol celebrating the newly established Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general. It reflects a strong commitment to the nation’s dual transformation goals, including green and digital, in alignment with Vietnam’s national development strategy and its pledge to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.
The event took place in a special context in the country. On July 1, 2025, Vietnam entered a new phase marked by urban and economic expansion. Notably, Ho Chi Minh City officially began operating as an expanded metropolis, formed through the merger of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria–Vung Tau provinces, three of the nation’s most dynamic economic hubs.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang highly appreciated the launch of the green B2B e-commerce platform, EcoHub (ecohub.arobid.com), along with the virtual EcoHub XPO3D exhibition, themed “No-Carbon City.” The establishment of the green B2B platform will serve as a crucial foundation to facilitate the greening of supply chains within the business community. It offers broad connectivity and significant advantages over traditional trading methods. This development will provide businesses with enhanced competitive advantages as they integrate into global supply chains focused on low carbon emissions and green growth.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang outlined key priorities that require focused implementation in the coming period:
- Continuing to complete institutional frameworks and enhancing inter-ministerial coordination, further improving the legal corridor and regulations on green and sustainable trade development across sectors, strengthening the most favorable development policies for green transformation businesses
- Promoting the adoption of digital technologies in management and production, including the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to optimize processes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, utilize clean energy in manufacturing, and enhance forecasting capabilities in support of green and sustainable development
- Proposing support programs to enable businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to participate in green B2B e-commerce platforms; such support may include digital skills training, the integration of green management tools, and traceability solutions.
- Actively promoting domestic supply chain linkages, encouraging leading enterprises to take the lead in supporting smaller suppliers within their ecosystems to pursue green transformation collectively, thereby reducing the carbon footprint in a coordinated and effective manner
- Prioritizing resources to raise public awareness and foster a culture of green consumption across society, in which consumers recognize their role and are willing to prioritize and choose environmentally friendly products, serving as the most powerful market-driven force to accelerate business transformation.
The forum took place amid ongoing efforts by the government and ministries to achieve green growth, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and respond to climate change.
Most recently, the master plan for national e-commerce development for the 2026–2030 period, outlined in Decision No. 1568/QD-BCT dated June 3, 2025, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade, sets specific targets for green and circular development by 2030. These include reducing the rate of e-commerce products using plastic packaging to a maximum of 45 percent, achieving 50 percent of e-commerce products using eco-friendly packaging materials, reaching at least 40 percent of logistics enterprises adopting clean energy in e-commerce, and having at least 50 percent of businesses applying green supply chain standards in e-commerce.
