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Dear readers,

Humanity and the natural environment on Planet Earth have already suffered immeasurable harm from climate
change, such as more frequent and intense droughts, storms, and heatwaves as well as rising sea levels from melting
glaciers and warming oceans, to name just a few.

Vietnam is among countries and territories most affected by this man-made disaster.

Addressing a meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and foreign enterprises at the annual Vietnam
Business Forum (VBF) in Hanoi on March 19, Mr. Thomas Jacobs, Vietnam Country Manager for the International
Finance Corporation, cited a World Bank report estimating that climate impacts cost Vietnam 3.2 per cent of GDP
in 2020, or roughly $10 billion, with losses projected to reach up to 14.5 per cent of GDP by 2050.

To avoid the worst effects of climate change, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has suggested that “we need
to dramatically reduce global carbon emissions” and “also prepare for the significant and unavoidable consequences
of carbon emissions, such as increasing temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, ocean acidification, rising sea levels,
and a greater intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.”

Saving our planet from such a disaster is a task that requires joint efforts from all countries and territories, with no
exceptions.

Among the various solutions to combatting climate change identified by the United Nations and its relevant
agencies and also by many governments, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero is, in my personal view, the
most urgent and important.

At COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, Vietnam committed to net-zero emissions by 2050.

To achieve such a challenging target, there is no alternative but for our country to make a green transition nationwide,
thus turning our traditional high-carbon economy into a sustainable low-carbon or even decarbonized economy.

With that in mind, the Vietnam Connect Forum 2024, an annual event to be co-organized by Vietnam Economic
Times / VnEconomy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 10 in the northern port city of Hai Phong, with the
theme “Vietnam Moves Towards a Green and Sustainable Economy - From Government Strategies and Policies to
Initiatives and Solutions from Localities and Businesses”, will focus on the government’s strategies and policies as well
as initiatives and solutions identified by localities and enterprises nationwide for this green transition.

The Forum will be followed by the Golden Dragon Awards 2024, an annual gathering initiated by Vietnam
Economic Times in 2001 to honor FDI enterprises making significant contributions to Vietnam’s socio-economic
development. The top 50 FDI enterprises will be recognized at this year’s ceremony.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my warmest congratulations to the winners of our Golden Dragon
Awards this year.

Our Cover Story in this April issue also takes an in-depth look at the green transition in Vietnam, in particular
efforts from the government, ministries, localities, and enterprises, both local and foreign, to reduce our carbon
footprint in production, consumption, and services.

DR. CHU VAN LAM
Editor-in-Chief