On October 29th, 2025, in Ho Chi Minh City, within the framework of the Vietnam Green Building and Green Transport Week 2025, the Department of Transport and Traffic Safety coordinated with relevant units to organize a workshop on "Green Transport: National strategic vision for sustainable development goals".
The workshop focused on clarifying six key tasks in the new strategy, including: improving transparent institutions and policies; prioritizing investment in modern and multimodal infrastructure; promoting digital transformation and building a smart transport sector; developing transport enterprises with global competitiveness; advancing safe and environmentally friendly transportation; and strengthening international cooperation to turn Vietnam as a regional logistics hub.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Nguyễn Huy Hoàng from the Academy of Managers for Construction and Cities (AMC) (under the Ministry of Construction) stated that the Ministry of Construction is leading the development of the Transport Development Strategy for the 2025-2035 period, with a vision toward 2050, aiming to meet socio-economic development needs while simultaneously realizing the commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. In the current context, road transport accounts for more than 50% of passenger and freight volume, while public transport in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City reaches less than 20%, significantly lower than the expected level of 30-35%.
Speakers exchanged ideas at the workshop.
Representative of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), Mr. Trần Tiến Dũng stated developing green logistics is an inevitable trend that helps enterprises enhance their competitiveness and contributes to the national emission reduction targets. Vietnam has a 3,260-km coastline and nearly 41,900 km of rivers and canals - major advantages for expanding inland waterway and coastal transport, which can reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 70% compared to road transport. VLA has proposed that the Government invest in upgrading ports and waterways, adopt green credit policies, and exempt infrastructure fees until 2030 for goods transported by waterway, thereby reducing dependence on road transport and cutting emissions.
Attending the workshop, Mr. Ian Liew, Director of Strategy & Sustainability at YCH Group (Singapore), noted that Vietnam is emerging as a new logistics and manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia thanks due to its strategic location, competitive costs, and young workforce. However, Vietnam’s logistics costs currently account for around 16-20% of GDP, higher than the global average of 11.6%, mainly due to the lack of synchronized transport infrastructure. Therefore, infrastructure modernization and multimodal integration are key factors in enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s logistics sector.
Meanwhile, a representative from the international consultancy firm Arup presented sustainable transport infrastructure planning and design solutions based on four pillars: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, integrating multimodal transport, fostering technological innovation, and optimizing socio-economic benefits. A typical model is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) - compact urban development built around public transport corridors, which helps reduce dependence on private cars and lower emissions.
At the workshop, experts and delegates affirmed the need to promptly implement strategies with clear direction, specific roadmaps, transparent assignment of responsibilities, and effective coordination mechanisms among ministries, sectors, local authorities, and enterprises. The development of green transport is not only about upgrading vehicles and infrastructure but also about transforming management models, integrating technology, and developing human resources. This is the pathway for Vietnam to realize its net-zero emissions target by 2050 while enhancing its competitiveness in the era of the green economy, smart logistics, and digital technologies.