Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam deepens green drive with new initiatives

What are the key objectives of the 'Water of Life' programme in 2025?

As a company that sustained by the gift of water, we strive to conserve ecosystems that provide water for today's and future generations through responsible water stewardship, replenishing natural sources, and promoting education initiatives that create lasting, positive impact for current and future generations.

'Water of Life' is designed to deliver multiple environmental and social benefits – from water replenishment and carbon absorption to improving local livelihoods. By actively involving communities, the programme promotes sustainable practices and offers a scalable model with the potential for broader, long-term impact.

In 2024, we achieved positive initial results, planting 35 hectares of long-lived trees in watershed areas in Bac Kan, Nghe An, and Ca Mau provinces. This year, we are scaling up by planting 60 ha in key upstream forests in the Mekong Delta and other provinces. Since 2021, our afforestation efforts now cover over 200 ha nationwide.

Also this year, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam has launched 'Nature Expedition with Mizuiku' – an experiential learning initiative that allows school children to explore and understand the critical connection between forests, water, and sustainability through direct interaction with nature. This initiative demonstrates multiple purposes and long-term impacts, both environmental and educational.

Schoolchildren participating in the 'Nature Expedition with Mizuiku' initiative in Ben Tre province in June

How has the partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment helped amplify the impact of this programme?

The collaboration with the ministry marks a milestone in advancing public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Vietnam’s sustainability efforts. As one of the first companies to establish such a partnership in sustainable forest development, we are proud to pave the way for innovative and scalable environmental solutions.

Our 2024 activities included cultivating 35 ha of long-lived trees in upstream forests to improve water replenishment and carbon offset. We work closely with the Vietnam Forestry Administration (MoAE) to select suitable tree species, train more than 100 local farmers and forest owners in forest care, intercropping, and agroforestry models. These efforts have helped local people raise their income, promote awareness of forest value, and inspire long-term protection. 'Water of Life' fosters local stewardship and long-term commitment to forest protection.

Through this inclusive approach, we ensure that sustainability is not just top-down, it’s people-centric and community-driven.

What makes 'Nature Expedition with Mizuiku' different from your previous educational efforts?

'Nature Expedition with Mizuiku' is Vietnam’s first nature-based environmental education model under the PPP and is in collaboration with the Vietnam Forestry Administration.

The initiative combines outdoor learning in forests with structured lessons on water, forest ecosystems, and sustainability. Its goal is to inspire children to become environmentally conscious citizens. The model will be piloted in Tam Dao, Cat Tien, and Xuan Lien national parks in 2025 and scaled nationwide in the coming years.

At the heart of the model is a strategic, grassroots approach that positions the national park as the central hub for designing and delivering educational activities. Once trained, park staff are equipped to lead forest expeditions.

Each route will be designed according to the ecological characteristics of each park, ensuring uniqueness, relevance and richness in indigenous values. We believe that with this approach, the model is both highly local and scalable nationwide. Experiential activities have high educational value and act as a link between the local community and national parks, between people and nature, thereby nurturing awareness and actions to protect forests and protect natural resources for generations.

From now until 2028, the model will be implemented in 15 to 20 National Parks, aiming to train nearly 100 core staff there, to organise experiences for more than 4,500 primary school students nationwide.

We believe environmental education must go beyond classrooms. By letting children explore the forests and witness the water cycle and biodiversity first-hand, we build awareness and cultivate responsibility from an early age.

What other initiatives has Suntory PepsiCo undertaken to support communities in Vietnam?

For over 30 years, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam has consistently promoted initiatives that give back to nature, communities and society, while delivering high-quality products to our consumers. Our vision extends beyond being a market-leading beverage company to becoming a trusted partner of the Vietnamese government in advancing sustainability initiatives.

In partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training, we have scaled our flagship water education programme, 'Mizuiku: I Love Clean Water', nationwide. Now integrated into the official primary school curriculum, this offering has educated more than one million pupils over the past decade, instilling awareness and responsibility from a young age.

On the community side, we run several impactful activities. 'Bring Tet Home' has supported over 21,000 students and workers since 2021 to reunite with families during Lunar New Year. In 2025, over 5,000 beneficiaries received plane, train, and bus tickets through this scheme.

Our 'Helping Hands – Happy School' initiative created five new schools in 2024, benefiting over 5,000 students and teachers with improved learning environments. Since 2012, we've implemented nearly 160 initiatives that have directly enriched thousands of lives nationwide.

Our annual 'Friendship Golf Tournament' charity event has helped more than 430 paediatric cancer patients access care and treatment.

These ideas are all built around our core value of 'giving back to society' and reflect our dedication to inclusive, long-term development.

What is Suntory PepsiCo’s long-term strategy for sustainable growth in Vietnam?

Vietnam is a key market for us in the Asia-Pacific region. For over 30 years, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam has been dedicated to investing in sustainable development here. With a diverse product portfolio, we bring joy to millions of Vietnamese consumers each year, while consistently ranking among the top taxpayers and contributing to the state budget for nearly a decade.

We’ve grown with the country, starting from our first plant in Hoc Mon, Ho Chi Minh City, to now operating five plants, a headquarters, and five sales offices nationwide. We employ over 3,000 people directly and create thousands of indirect jobs.

Our development strategy emphasises sustainable values, growing alongside Vietnam, and continuously innovating to meet the evolving demands of consumers. We prioritise people and community building, enhancing local skills, developing communities, and giving back to society.

We broke ground on our sixth and most modern plant in Long An in April last year. This state-of-the-art facility is our largest in Asia-Pacific, using renewable energy and advanced automation – underscoring our dual focus on growth and sustainability.

At Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, we believe in creating value not just for our business but also for the environment, society, and future generations. With the strong support of our partners and the community, we will continue to lead with purpose and impact.

VNFOREST and Suntory PepsiCo launch forest and water awareness drives A set of initiatives to raise public awareness about the vital role of forests and water resources through activities at national parks nationwide has been launched by the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam.

Public and private sector cooperate to boost sustainable forest development The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Forestry Department and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam signed an MoU on July 11 to jointly develop the forest ecosystem.

Promoting plastic waste collection and recycling towards a circular economy Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam, in tandem with VietCycle, held a training course on August 23 for informal workers who collect waste to show them how to classify everyday items that can be recycled.