Linking sci-tech and innovation to Vietnam’s net-zero future

Juhern Kim, country representative to Vietnam Global Green Growth Institute

Let me begin by recalling an encounter that took place in October in Seoul - my hometown. Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of Open AI, met with President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea. During that meeting, the South Korean president remarked that AI has opened up a whole new world - one that could lead humanity towards a happier life, or one fraught with danger - and urged Altman to help guide us towards the happier world.

If I may humbly add, a happier world must also be a greener world. This conviction echoes the message of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam, who emphasised the importance of linking innovation directly with sustainable development and emission reduction at National Innovation Day 2025 ceremony in Hanoi, where he showcased the country’s growing ambition in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Vietnam’s Resolution No.57-NQ/TW, issued at the end of 2024, is a landmark reflection of this vision. It identifies science, technology, and innovation, together with digital transformation - as strategic breakthroughs for realising the nation’s aspiration to become a high-income country by 2045. The global digital revolution unfolding today brings extraordinary opportunities but also formidable challenges.

AI and related technologies are expanding at unprecedented speed. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres already consume roughly 1.5 per cent of global electricity demand in 2024 and this could rise to nearly 3 per cent of projected global electricity use. These facilities, which power AI and cloud computing, now sit at the heart of both digital progress and climate responsibility.

At the same time, these technologies can themselves become powerful drivers of decarbonisation. The International Energy Agency estimates that renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydro already supply roughly 27 per cent of total data centre electricity consumption worldwide, and that share is growing rapidly. If countries accelerate policies enabling direct renewable sourcing, the digital economy could become a catalyst - not a burden - for climate action.

Across the economy, AI-driven technologies are reshaping the pathways to net-zero. In transport, AI-based route optimisation and autonomous logistics - such as drone delivery systems - help reduce unnecessary mileage, fuel use, and emissions. In agriculture, robotics and precision equipment can boost productivity while minimising environmental footprints.

One can imagine a near future where unmanned tractors in the Mekong Delta collect rice straw and residues - currently a major source of methane - for reuse in biochar or circular-economy applications. In the waste sector, beyond satellite-based detection of methane leaks from liquefied natural gas pipelines, AI-powered sorting and robotics are now transforming municipal solid waste management, with some startup companies now achieving recovery rates of up to 90 per cent.

Even in the energy-intensive data centre industry, innovation is advancing rapidly: liquid-immersion cooling, reflective surface coatings, and closed-loop water systems are improving efficiency. Yet the decisive factor remains the carbon intensity of the electricity grid.

Hence, rapid expansion of renewable energy and implementation of direct power purchase agreements under Decree 57 will be critical to ensure that Vietnam’s next generation of digital infrastructure is both competitive and low-carbon.

SCALING IMPACT

Still, these advances represent only the tip of the iceberg. The international scientific community has long recognised that mature technologies can deliver only part of the emission reductions needed for global net-zero. The rest must come from solutions that are still in early adoption, demonstration, or prototype stages.

For that reason, entrepreneurs - those who connect scientific breakthroughs with commercial applications - will be essential. They are the bridge between innovation and impact, between ideas and implementation.

In this context, strengthened by Resolution No.68-NQ/TW, a landmark policy elevating the private sector as a core driver of national growth, Vietnam is uniquely positioned to lead among emerging economies in connecting science and technology with the net-zero goal.

Anchored by the National Innovation Centre (NIC), the country can become a test bed for climate tech deployment and digital sustainability. In August, during Party General Secretary Lam’s state visit to South Korea, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) director-general Dr. Sang Hyup Kim and the NIC signed an MoU in Seoul, aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s capacity to link innovation and green growth.

The GGGI has been working globally, and here in Vietnam, to accelerate climate-tech startups and small businesses through catalytic grant financing and investment facilitation. This year, together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the European Union, we supported early-stage startups developing energy-efficiency solutions and successfully matched several with investors and commercial clients.

These firms are not merely small enterprises - they are scalable, system-shifting medium businesses capable of transforming entire sectors. Energy efficiency is only the beginning. Our upcoming climate-tech acceleration programmes will expand into agriculture, circular economy, and transport, focusing on ventures that link technology innovation directly to measurable climate impact.

Beyond startups, the GGGI has helped Vietnam’s financial sector to both “green the finance” and “finance the green.” On one side, we provided technical assistance for Vietcombank’s first green-bond issuance, worth approximately $80 million in 2024, and for Techcombank’s Green Bond Framework. A few additional deals totaling about $180 million have been concluded in 2025 as well.

On the other side, we have supported infrastructure, agriculture, and waste-management projects to make them investment-ready. Collectively, our facilitation track record exceeds $300 million, and we aim to mobilise up to $1 billion in green investments for Vietnam by 2028.

To unlock the full potential of climate technology, technological readiness and financial innovation must go hand in hand. Given the urgency of the climate challenge, Vietnam needs faster technology transfer and more innovative financing instruments. The country’s emerging international finance centre initiatives in Danang and Ho Chi Minh City could serve as regional gateways for channelling global capital into domestic green innovation, provided there is a strong pipeline of investable projects and transparent verification standards.

Vietnam holds a strategic advantage among fast-growing economies: it can align its AI and digitalisation boom with its climate ambitions, embedding sustainability within the very foundation of its innovation agenda.

Ultimately, the green transformation is not only about codes, chips, or algorithms - it is about a new model of growth. As former Unilever CEO Paul Polman said, “Business cannot succeed in societies that fail.” I would extend that logic: businesses and societies, even driven by AI and high-tech innovation, cannot succeed on a planet that fails. Linking science with sustainability, innovation with inclusion, and digitalisation with decarbonisation is a vital national priority that the GGGI is honoured to help advance.

Together, the aforementioned resolutions provide the policy compass for Vietnam’s innovation-led, market-powered growth. Entrepreneurs, financiers, and innovators supply the engine. The GGGI stands ready to help connect them - turning scientific breakthroughs into climate solutions, and climate solutions into green growth, which is the future we all aspire to build.