ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) has become a global business standard, strongly influencing investment flows. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, ESG assets exceeded $41 trillion in 2022 and are projected to reach $50 trillion by 2025 - evidencing capital shift to sustainable enterprises.

Major economies like the US, EU, and Japan are enforcing strict ESG reporting regulations.

Regionally, Vietnam emerges as a green transformation highlight with government commitments at COP26 to net-zero emissions by 2050, plus sustainable development actions. This creates a legal foundation forcing Vietnamese enterprises to restructure operations, integrate ESG into core pillars to boost competitiveness and attract international capital.

Notably, in S&P Global's latest ESG rankings, Masan Consumer from Vietnam outperformed over 85 percent of 330 global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) firms, becoming the Vietnamese company with the highest ESG score on S&P Global platform currently.

Masan Consumer achieving high scores, especially outperforming 85 percent of global peers, proves Vietnamese enterprises not only keep pace but pioneer in applying global governance standards.

To achieve this, Masan Consumer said the company placed ESG at the strategy center, with core principle “Doing Well By Doing Good”.

The company's strategy framework aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), focusing on three pillars: “Promoting innovation for sustainable growth”, “Caring for environment and community”, and “Winning employee and customer trust”.

Especially, by focusing on operational efficiency and renewable energy application, greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2) in 2024 decreased 18.33 percent from 2023.

Moreover, about 65 percent of total energy consumption comes from renewable sources. Over 80 percent of total waste has been processed or diverted from traditional treatment methods. The company also implemented initiatives optimizing production processes, switching 100 percent to electric forklifts, increasing recycled PET content in packaging, thereby minimizing environmental footprint across the value chain.

According to a PwC survey released at a June 2025 ESG practices conference, 78 percent of Southeast Asian CEOs view ESG as a strategic focus, but up to 40 percent lack qualified personnel teams.

In Vietnam, though 80 percent of enterprises have committed or planned ESG implementation in the next 2-4 years, 60 percent cite lack of specialized knowledge as the biggest barrier. 54 percent have never conducted ESG training for employees; 38 percent lack dedicated ESG leadership departments.

According to Phung Van Dong from AIT Vietnam, the shortage of high-quality personnel, in both quantity and expertise, is becoming a major bottleneck in digitalization and sustainable ESG execution. Meanwhile, ESG cannot separate from digital transformation, but Vietnam's tech workforce is also severely lacking.

Tam An