Improvements made in sustainable business assessment

Corporate compliance

This year, the CSI has 153 indicators. Up to 62 per cent of indicators are related to legal compliance requirements, while 38 per cent are initiative-based.

This is the ninth year in a row that the programme has been organised by the VCCI and the VBCSD in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour and the Central Economic Commission.

Nearly 500 businesses joined last year's programme and up to 23 per cent were participating for the first time. Of them, 100 enterprises were recognised as the top sustainable businesses in Việt Nam in 2023.

The exemplary businesses honoured in 2023 were those that had successfully implemented programmes related to sustainability and made great contributions to society for many consecutive years, including Nestlé Vietnam, AEON Vietnam, Vinamilk, Unilever Vietnam and Heineken.

Among the top 10 sustainable enterprises in the fields of trade-services and production, foreign-invested enterprises accounted for 40 per cent and Vietnamese enterprises made up 60 per cent, of which 25 per cent were enterprises with a majority of State capital.

Binu Jacob, Managing Director of Nestlé Vietnam, Co-Chair of VBCSD, emphasised that sustainability commitments needed to be accompanied by a clear roadmap and sufficient investments for that roadmap, innovation, transformation and cooperation at all levels to achieve successful sustainable development.

He said CSI 100 had brought together businesses that pursue sustainable development by providing a clear picture of achievements, limitations to be addressed, and most importantly, the direction ahead.

This year, the programme will welcome submissions from enterprises of all scales and industries through an online platform, with no associated fees for the candidates. Beyond the ranking and announcement of the top 100 sustainable companies, the CSI 2024 Programme also confers accolades to honour trailblazing companies in the development of the circular economy, reduction of carbon emissions, and those leading the charge in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusivity.

Following the launch event, the committee will organise offline and online training courses on sustainable corporate governance in general and on how to apply the CSI Index to corporate governance, from June to August 2024.

The deadline for submitting applications is August 16, 2024. For more information about the CSI 2024 Programme, please refer to the website vbcsd.vn/csi.asp.