Co-hosted by Raise Partners and Vietnam Innovators Digest, the 2025 Vietnam ESG Investor Conference concluded successfully on May 13–14 at the New World Saigon Hotel. Attracting over 500 business, investment, government, and SME stakeholders, the conference addressed strategies for navigating the complexities of trade, investment, and sustainable growth in a rapidly changing world.
With the theme “Sustainability and Growth in an Uncertain World,” the conference was a vivid reminder that ESG is no longer optional but a strategic imperative – especially for countries like Vietnam, which are navigating both environmental risk and economic ambition.
Below are some highlights during 2 days of the event.
Diplomatic Voices Signal Strong Bilateral Support
Opening the event, Sarah Hooper, Australia’s Consul-General, highlighted the growing strength of the Australia–Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which this year marked its first anniversary.
“Climate and the clean energy transition is at the forefront of our diplomatic, economic and development relationships with Southeast Asia and especially so with Vietnam,” she emphasized. “Supporting the net-zero transition is in our shared interest.”
Australia’s commitment is being channeled into action through mechanisms such as the Australian Development Investments (ADI) fund – a $250 million initiative that has already mobilized over $160 million in private capital and supported more than 1 million female microentrepreneurs across the Indo-Pacific.
Consul General Hooper emphasized that while ESG is often associated with large corporations, initiatives like Australia's Business Partnerships Platform prove that purpose-driven impact is crucial, regardless of scale.
Daniel Stork, Consul General of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City, similarly reaffirmed the Netherlands’ longstanding cooperation with Vietnam, noting that both countries, low-lying delta nations, share a common vulnerability to climate change.
“Vietnam is a regional leader on green growth,” he said, citing the recent P4G Summit in Hanoi as a sign of Vietnam’s elevated global role. “We’ve collaborated on everything from coastal protection in Hoi An to urban resilience in Ho Chi Minh City. For us, public-private partnership is not just a word, it’s the only way it works.”
Vision 2050: A Sustainable And Investable Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the top five countries most impacted by climate change. Just a few days ago, Ho Chi Minh City experienced its heaviest rainfall in eight years. “Global warming is not waiting for us to figure things out,” said Tim Evans, CEO of HSBC Vietnam.
Evans emphasized the scale of investment required $46 billion annually through 2050, about 10% of Vietnam’s GDP — to achieve net-zero goals. He outlined enablers such as green energy expansion, smart grid investments, innovative financing, and stronger public-private partnerships. He concluded with a call to policymakers:
Vietnam needs consistent taxonomy and regulations. If every time a company has a tax audit or renews a license, the rules change, that uncertainty drives away investment.
Clarity is not a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation for scalable ESG finance.
Expanding on what it means to achieve a sustainable 2050, Kylie Charlton, Investment Committee member of the Australian Development Investments (ADI) fund, pointed to how ESG itself must evolve to meet the moment.
She championed a shift from ESG as a risk management tool toward double materiality — a model where businesses evaluate not just how environmental and social issues affect financial performance, but how their operations, in turn, shape real impacts on people and the planet.
Leadership In ESG Success: Purposes As A Compass
A key takeaway from a fireside chat featuring Craig Martin (Dynam Capital) and Van Ly (Raise Partners) was that authentic and effective ESG leadership is built upon a foundation of values, making metrics a secondary consideration.
Martin illustrated effective ESG leadership by comparing it to a "stewardship compass" that guides actions with purpose, stressing that the underlying "why" – knowing one's core motivations – is more significant than an ESG score.
He drew on Rene Descartes’ four maxims as a metaphor for ESG leadership:
- Obey laws and avoid excess.
- Be resolute, even when the path is unclear.
- Conquer yourself before trying to change others.
- Observe diverse occupations and choose wisely.
In another firechat, Mehvesh Mumtaz, VP of Impact & Sustainability at Rosewood Hotel Group, expanded on this view with a practical framework. She suggested that purpose must be activated through a cycle of 5 key pillars:
- Action: Start with sustainability foundations (energy, water, waste).
- Ambition: Go beyond baseline – introduce pilot initiatives.
- Education: Continual learning and skill-building.
- Measurement: Track KPIs and consequences.
- Communication: Transparent storytelling after solid progress.
On that, communication should come last to ensure authenticity, as Mumtaz warned against relegating purpose to CSR checkboxes or surface-level marketing.
In a time of volatility and shifting consumer values, both speakers agreed: Purpose is strategy.
From Purpose To Profit: ESG As A Business Imperative
The strong link between sustainability, leadership and profitability was also emphasized, with examples of eco-industrial zones demonstrating enhanced value creation. Through his keynote - ESG as a driver of long-term value - Bruno Jaspaert, CEO of Deep C Industrial Zones, asserted:
If something needs to be sustainable, by definition, it should be profitable. Without profitability, even the most well-intentioned efforts won’t endure.
Jaspaert illustrated this through Deep C’s transformation of traditional industrial parks into eco-industrial zones, aligned with UN standards and supported by Vietnamese legislation. These changes led to real savings, increased resilience, and stronger investor appeal.
This perspective also found powerful resonance with Mehvesh Mumtaz. She noted:
Doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive. There are credible studies that show purpose-driven companies have 30% higher levels of innovation, 40% higher employee retention, and 10 to 20% greater business valuation.
If you're living your values, then you should make more money off of it. That's a smart business strategy.
Enablers of Transformation: Infrastructure – Mobility – Agriculture
In a rapidly transforming Vietnam, the enablers of sustainable growth are no longer siloed sectors, they are interlocking systems designed for resilience and equity.
Infrastructure is no longer just about building.
As demonstrated by leaders like Deep C and Becamex Tokyu, infrastructure today means flood-proofed industrial zones, green buildings with circular water systems, and solar-powered ports that prioritize both economic efficiency and environmental safeguards. These are not vanity projects, they are risk mitigation strategies turned into value-creation engines.
Mobility too, is being reimagined beyond transportation. As Trang Vuong, Deputy CEO at enCity Group noted, Vietnam’s dense, fast-growing cities face mounting pressure from congestion, pollution, and inequitable access.
Her firm’s work on transit-oriented development (TOD) in Ho Chi Minh City embraces integrated public transport, digital planning tools, and human-centered design, but implementation remains slow due to fragmented governance and regulatory inertia.
“Smart mobility,” she noted, “must begin with inclusive planning, not just technology.”
Agriculture, often overlooked in high-level ESG conversations, is where some of the most transformative innovations are taking root.
Betrimex chairwoman Dang Huynh Uc My shared how her company has built a vertically integrated, ESG-certified coconut value chain that exports to over 80 countries. But the path hasn’t been easy: fragmented farmer networks, inconsistent land-use policies, and rising trade risks have made standardization a moving target.
Meanwhile, Ryan Galloway of TechCoop emphasized the financial gap smaller producers face when attempting to scale sustainably. His firm addresses this by bundling trade finance, capacity building, and ESG audits into one support package.
What united the panelists was a shared understanding: Vietnam must navigate complexity, not avoid it. As Anastacia Howe of H&M put it:
Empowerment, not enforcement, is how we future-proof ESG goals. Whether it's carbon budgeting for port staff or gender-equitable value chains, Vietnam’s ESG leadership is proving that systems thinking is essential.
Innovation & Impact: From Startups to Gender Lens Investing
While established sectors are embedding ESG principles, startups and impact investors are innovating at the frontier, pushing for inclusive models that scale with purpose.
The session on Gender Lens Investing (GLI), moderated by Sarona’s Marie Torres, made one thing clear: investing with a gender lens is no longer niche.
Representatives from Sweef Capital, Asia Business Builders, and Do Ventures shared stories of growth-stage and early-stage companies that deliver both financial returns and gender equity.
Ilman Dzikri, Assistant Vice President at Sweef Capital noted:
Women control 80% of consumer spending power in Vietnam. And there is a growing participant in leadership and workforce. So obviously there is a compelling market case for us to invest in women as a leader, worker and consumer.
Robyn Mudie, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, summarized the ethos best:
Gender lens investing isn’t just about equity, it’s about economic sense. Women-led businesses reinvest more in their communities and families. The data proves it.
Connecting The ESG Ecosystem
The conference closed with dynamic pitching sessions from startups like enFarm, TepBac, NetZero Pallet, and Halophilic Marine Agriculture showcasing climate tech and agri-tech solutions with transformative potential. These ventures offered glimpses into the future of a green and inclusive Vietnam, fueled not just by capital, but by creativity and conviction.
Across the two-day event, a vibrant network of investors, corporates, SMEs, and social enterprises came alive through purposeful connection. From the investor-business exhibition and executive lunch to informal moments between sessions, hundreds of participants engaged in meaningful exchanges, laying the groundwork for future partnerships and cross-sector collaboration.
Among these networking spaces, the exhibition area featured startup booths spanning a range of industries – including clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy. Some notable highlights included SNV’s innovations in inclusive value chains, Gaia’s reforestation and biodiversity efforts, and Charge+’s electric vehicle charging solutions, demonstrating the diversity of Vietnam’s ESG innovation landscape.
More than a stage for ESG dialogue, the event embodied the principles it promoted. A zero-waste lunch menu in partnership with NWSG & Tales by Chapter, sustainable production materials, and a live carbon tracker powered by partners like Eco Solutions, Ve Chai Oi and Green Transition Consulting… offered tangible proof that sustainability is now a standard.
Wrapping up the 2025 Vietnam ESG Investor Conference, Van Ly from Raise Partner emphasized the key insight: ESG is no longer just about future-proofing portfolios or mitigating risk. It’s about how we shape impact intentionally, inclusively, and at scale!
Some moments at the event:
The 2025 Vietnam ESG Investor Conference by Raise Partners and Vietnam Innovators Digest is a two-day event, gathering investors and funds, business leaders, Vietnamese and international governments, start-ups, experts, academia, and the media to spark meaningful collaboration and accelerate green and inclusive growth in Vietnam.
When: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, 13-14 May 2025
Where: New World Saigon Hotel, 76 Le Lai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Event details: find out more HERE
The 2025 Vietnam ESG Investor Conference is made possible with the support of: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Leading Government Partner); Dynam Capital, Vietnam Holding, Ecolean (Program Partner); New World Saigon Hotel (Venue Partner); HSBC Vietnam, S&P Global, DEEP C Industrial Zones, Betrimex, Home Credit (Engagement Partner); Consulate of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City, Heneiken, and Tales by Chapter (Experience Partner); Vietcetera (Media Partner); Eurocham, AusCham Vietnam and Dutch Business Association Vietnam (Communications Partner); Green Transition (Technical Partner) and Be (Travel Partner).