Greening products, and greening production processes to create competitive advantages is a new trend of many businesses to increase brand value in the market.

For example, steel enterprises in Vietnam must promptly change their mindset and prepare financial resources, scientific and technological advancements, and engineering capabilities to gradually shift towards low-carbon emissions production, meeting the requirements of sustainable development.

The assessment of the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) shows that the steel industry with the characteristics of having very high emissions, still emits equivalent to 3.5 billion tons of carbon emissions each year, accounting for about 7-9% of total national emissions and 45% of industrial processes.

The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has been in the pilot phase since January 1, 2023. It will officially be in operation from 2026 to 2033. Importers will be required to pay for CBAM certificates corresponding to the carbon emissions per product. However, the cost will be adjusted based on the free quota allocation rate in the European emission quota trading system. It is important to understand the EU CBAM to avoid exceeding the allowable carbon emissions, which can lead to higher fees.

Many experts believe that the impact of CBAM on Vietnam's steel exports to the EU market is a significant challenge in the short term. However, in the long term, along with the transition to a green economy, green energy development, and green production, this is an opportunity for Vietnamese steel enterprises to improve product quality, meet international standards, and develop sustainably.

According to Nghiem Xuan Da, the Chairman of VSA, the global industry's "greening" pressure presents an opportunity for Vietnam's steel industry to modernize and transform into a technologically advanced and sustainable industry. Although the steel industry has high emissions, it still has the potential to reduce its carbon footprint by adopting new technologies such as hydrogen energy, renewable electric furnaces, and carbon capture.

Cement production is one of the industries that emit large amounts of carbon into the environment, according to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Duc Long, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Cement Association, the cement industry is currently facing difficulties in using clean energy. The amount of clean energy in Vietnam is still small, not enough to meet, and the price is higher than traditional energy. Therefore, the use of environmentally friendly technologies often does not bring high economic efficiency like traditional technology, making it difficult for cement businesses to invest in the use of raw materials, alternative fuels, and clean energy.

"To promote the process of reducing carbon emissions in the cement production industry, it is necessary to continue to build a mechanism to compensate for carbon emissions when using raw materials and alternative fuels, especially when using waste as a fuel instead of cement clinker. This is a good solution, but now the collection and preliminary treatment of waste into alternative fuel for the cement industry in Vietnam is still very difficult in terms of source and how to organize preliminary processing and supply”, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Duc Long.