MM Mega Market Vietnam championed for Green Leadership

Thanks to its multi-site solar rooftop project, MM has proved its excellence in using sustainable sources of energy and convincingly won against potential candidates from around Asia.

Hosted annually by Enterprise Asia – a non-governmental organisation serving the largest business community in the Asia-Pacific region – AREA aims to recognise and honour Asian enterprises and inspire leaders to promote sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibilities.

The Green Leadership's recipients believe in their wider responsibility to recognise the impact of running their business on the environment and seek to reduce and reverse the impact they have.

Since 2011, the AREA has recognised over 500 corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects and enterprises from 19 different countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

This year, a total of 260 submissions across 19 countries and regions have undergone a stringent judging process based on the three criteria of effectiveness and reach, relevance, and sustainability. Only 100 impactful CSR programmes and three business leaders were honoured as winners.

With its multi-site solar rooftop project, MM is proud to be the only retailer in Vietnam to win the Green Leadership category.

Tran Kim Nga, representative of MM Mega Market receiving the 2022 Asia Responsible Enterprise Award

Bruno Jousselin, managing director of MM shared, “The Green Leadership is recognition of MM’s persistent and tireless effort to become the leading green retailer in Vietnam and Asia. MM aims to inspire individuals, households, and professional customers to go green, thereby promoting the sustainable development of Vietnam's economy.

“In recent years, MM has constantly looked for integrated digital solutions to optimise business spending and strive for sustainability. The multi-site solar roof project was a promising initiative on our CSR journey and we have also considered using solar panels in parking lots. In 2022, we are making advances to use renewable energy sources effectively at all remaining MM centres nationwide. We have a great ambition to become the first retailer in Vietnam to attain the Renewable Energy Certificate”, he added.

In January 2021, MM Mega Market chose Green Yellow Vietnam as its strategic partner to implement two phases of the multi-site solar roof project.

After the completion of Phase 1 in May 2021 – which encompassed 12 centres – the installed capacity was just over 5,100 kilowatt peak and it generated up to 6,845 megawatt hours per year, supplying up to 30 per cent of the stores' total electricity needs.

It is expected to reach 9,416 kWp after the completion of phase 2.

With a total area of 41,900 square metres, this project allows MM to reduce its electricity needs by up to 25 per cent and save almost $235,000 on its Electricity of Vietnam bills each year. Notably, it also enables MM to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 5,700 tonnes each year – equivalent to planting 220,000 trees.

The multi-site solar roof project by MM is a key action plan in response to the Vietnamese government’s call for trading enterprises to use renewable energy.

As a part of its sustainability strategy and allowing it to be named among the leading green retailers in Vietnam and Asia, MM has launched several CSR projects for environmental conservation.

Currently, MM is the only retailer in Vietnam that no longer provides customers with single-use plastic bags at the tills. Furthermore, MM has joined efforts with Tetra Pak Vietnam to launch a public event to collect used beverage packaging.

The enterprise also organises periodical CSR activities to inspire a green lifestyle and contribute to Vietnam’s sustainable development in the near future.