At a recent forum titled “Vietnamese Enterprises on the Global Economic Map: Innovating for Breakthroughs,” Nguyen Duc Lenh, Deputy Minister of the State Bank of Vietnam Regional Branch 2, reported that green credit in Vietnam continued its strong growth trajectory in 2025. This capital flow, which reached nearly 780 trillion VND, is concentrated in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, transportation, and waste management, accounting for approximately 4.2% of the total outstanding debt in the economy.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Lenh, while the overall proportion remains modest, green credit has maintained a positive growth trend. In 2024 and 2025, the scale of green credit grew by 9.5% and 14.6%, respectively. These results are attributed to new policies, such as the green classification catalog, which helps credit institutions clearly identify projects eligible for disbursement.
Notably, a new mechanism allows businesses to borrow up to 70% of their total investment without requiring collateral, creating favorable conditions for green projects, particularly in agriculture. Programs such as the credit package for developing one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice have also contributed to driving capital flows.
However, from a corporate perspective, the challenges of the green transition are becoming increasingly apparent. Dinh Hong Ky, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Green Business Association, noted that global supply chains are being reshaped according to climate criteria and Net Zero 2050 targets. Green barriers, such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) or new standards from the United States and Japan, are gradually tightening.
In the garment industry, Pham Van Viet reported that businesses are facing significant pressure to adapt to sustainability standards while dealing with rising logistics costs. Meanwhile, approximately 90% of Vietnamese enterprises lack a clear green transition strategy, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) particularly hindered by a lack of capital, data, and human resources.
To provide support, the State Bank of Vietnam is developing a plan to offer interest rate subsidies of approximately 2% for SMEs and household businesses in the green economy, aiming to expand access to capital in the near future.
