Viet Nam’s 100 most sustainable businesses of 2017 were announced at a ceremony in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

They were selected from nearly 500 entries to the contest, jointly conducted by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Viet Nam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD). Businesses include Phu Nhuan Jewelry JSC, Da Nang Port Logistic JSC, Thang Long Invest Group, Herbalife Viet Nam and Amway Viet Nam.

Heineken Vietnam improved its previous ranking (from third position last year) to the top sustainable manufacturing company among the 100 most sustainable companies in Viet Nam. It was selected as the leading company on the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI) ranking due to its significant achievements in 2017.

The company made a significant economic contribution to Viet Nam – some 0.75 per cent of the nation’s GDP -- along with focusing on green growth by using carbon-neutral initiatives such as biomass to create thermal energy for brewing. It also prioritised using Vietnamese suppliers wherever possible, and by doing so, added nearly 200,000 jobs in Viet Nam.

According to the organising board, this year’s programme assessed firms on the basis of 134 criteria, focused on socio-economic and environmental aspects. In the future, the list of criteria will be simplified so that it can be applied to micro- and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Addressing the event, VCCI President Vu Tien Loc highlighted the presence of new private firms in this year’s ranking, saying that this proves the country’s business climate is improving. Tran Ngoc Anh from Dekalb Viet Nam, a Monsanto entity that sells genetically modified seeds to farmers and is one of the honoured firms, said the recognition gives her company motivation to pursue sustainable development goals at home and abroad.

The programme was first held in 2016 and will be an annual event.

This year, the companies received three different types of honors including the sustainable business certificate, the sustainable enterprise certificate for excellent manufacturing enterprises and the sustainable business certificate for excellence enterprises in trade and services.

The certificates aim to encourage businesses in Viet Nam to focus more on sustainable development, planning and implementing strong development business strategies. — VNS