Green Growth — A New Competitive Advantage

In today’s competitive landscape, retaining high-quality investment capital, integrating deeper into value chains, and expanding export markets require proving sustainable development capabilities. For Phu Tho, green growth is no longer just an environmental protection requirement; it is step-by-step becoming a new competitive edge, laying the groundwork for a high-quality, long-term resilient development model.

“Green” Is No Longer a Future Concept

Where growth was previously measured by production scale, invested capital, project count, or GRDP growth rates, the quality of growth now takes center stage. A long-term sustainable economy must utilize resources more efficiently, cut emissions, conserve energy, and generate greater value with fewer resources. This shift directly impacts local enterprises and authorities alike.

Faucet manufacturing activities at the TOTO Vietnam Factory, Thang Long Vinh Phuc Industrial Park.

Major export markets are imposing higher standards regarding the environment, carbon emissions, traceability, and circular manufacturing. For businesses, “going green” is no longer purely a matter of corporate social responsibility; it directly links to retaining market share, participating in supply chains, and elevating product value.

Discussing this shift, Mr. Le Anh Khai, Director of Tam Duong Agricultural Cooperative, noted that businesses previously focused primarily on producing sufficient volume on schedule at competitive prices. Today, however, clients—especially export partners—increasingly scrutinize production processes.

“They do not just ask whether our products meet standards; they want to know the origin of raw materials, how energy is consumed, and how waste is treated. To retain long-term customers, businesses must adapt. Green manufacturing is no longer an extra task—it is becoming a core component of competitive capacity,” Mr. Khai shared.

Across the province, this trend is manifesting in agriculture, industry, and services. From clean tea zones, organic farming, and circular livestock breeding to factories progressively adopting renewable energy, saving materials, and reducing waste, development mindsets are undergoing clear transformations.

On March 23, 2026, the Provincial People’s Committee issued Decision No. 894 approving the Scheme to Promote Green Economic Development in the Province for 2026–2030, with a Vision to 2050. This concrete step aligns with directions to transform growth models toward green, sustainable, and low-emission practices.

Notably, the green economy is integrated into overall economic development rather than treated as an isolated environmental program. Under this approach, investment projects are selected not only for incoming capital but also based on technology levels, energy consumption, waste management capabilities, land-use efficiency, and broader economic spillover effects—marking a qualitative shift in development thinking.

Greening Industry to Attract New Capital Flows

For Phu Tho, an expanding industrial scale makes green transformation all the more urgent. Consequently, this represents an opportunity for the province to turn requirements into advantages when attracting new capital—especially as it shifts from broad investment attraction toward selecting high-tech, high value-added, environmentally friendly projects linked with domestic firms.

Mr. Lee Jong Young, General Director of Haesung Vina Co., Ltd. (Khai Quang Industrial Park), shared: “When selecting investment sites, we look beyond land and labor costs. Stable power supply, wastewater treatment systems, factory surroundings, and green industrial park development orientations are equally crucial criteria. For businesses seeking long-term investment, the locality must offer a long-term environmental vision. A well-planned industrial park with green space, water bodies, centralized wastewater treatment, energy efficiency, and emerging circular links possesses a distinct appeal compared to one that merely offers floor space.”

Phu Tho’s development strategy aligns with this demand. The province encourages renewable energy adoption, energy conservation, water reuse, and waste recycling in manufacturing, while aiming to build eco-friendly, high-tech industrial parks.

Green spaces at Ba Thien II Industrial Park create a friendly and modern manufacturing environment.

From Green Resources to New Value

While industry provides momentum, agriculture, forestry, and tourism offer vital avenues for Phu Tho to build depth in its green economy.

Following administrative integration, the province possesses rich natural resources spanning forests, rivers, lakes, agricultural land, and diverse ecosystems—an advantage not every locality enjoys.

In the first seven months of 2026, Phu Tho planted approximately 15.4 thousand hectares of concentrated forests, reaching 87.9% of its target, with timber output exceeding 1 million cubic meters and forest coverage reaching 43.37%. By pairing forestry with sustainable management certification, deep processing, ecotourism, and carbon markets, each hectare of forest can generate greater value without intensifying logging rates.

In agriculture, the province focuses on high-tech, organic, circular, and ecological models, driving traceability, tech application, and supply chain links from production to processing and sales.

Tourism presents similar opportunities across key destinations like Hung Temple, Tam Dao, Thanh Thuy, Kim Boi, Hoa Binh Lake, mountainous eco-zones, and unique cultural spaces. By pursuing eco-friendly, community-based, green resort, and landscape preservation models, natural and cultural assets can serve as enduring economic resources. Preservation does not oppose growth; done well, it enhances the value of tourism products.

Naturally, the green transition path is not without hurdles. Technology costs remain high, small and medium enterprises lack resources, and measuring emissions or accessing green capital remains novel. Waste treatment infrastructure, green logistics, and specialized human resources require continued investment.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Quan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the main challenge lies in translating awareness into concrete action. “Green transformation must be embedded from planning and project selection to production, consumption, and waste treatment. Action by a few businesses alone is insufficient. Creating a province-wide competitive advantage requires an ecosystem involving local authorities, enterprises, and citizens together,” Mr. Quan emphasized.

This principle underpins the province’s Green Economic Development Scheme, aiming to build a green, circular, low-carbon economic model while driving science, technology, innovation, workforce development, and market conditions for carbon trading.

Phu Tho stands before a major opportunity with an expanded development space, larger economic scale, and incoming investment flows seeking new destinations. By combining strategic location, infrastructure, and human resources with green standards, the province can establish a distinct competitive edge—reducing pressure on natural resources while attracting higher-quality capital, producing high-value goods, expanding export markets, and building an economy resilient to external shocks.

Quang Nam