Reducing the carbon footprint in production at the nation's largest dairy company

DNHN - As a large dairy company in Vietnam, with 13 factories and 13 farms spread across the country, Vinamilk demonstrates leadership in activities to reduce carbon footprint and manage emissions. Greenhouse gas.

Mr. Le Hoang Minh, Production Executive Director and Net Zero Project Head at Vinamilk stated at the Green Trade Forum in 2023 with the theme "Active green transformation" that, with the understanding that any production activity affects the environment and community, Vinamilk strives to find ways to minimize these impacts and make efficient use of resources and energy.

Through activities, Vinamilk affirms its pioneering role in managing and minimizing carbon footprint in production and business activities, and assists the government in implementing the "National Strategy on Climate Change" post-period to 2050, as well as the Net Zero goal committed at COP26.

A representative of Vinamilk added that the greening process in Vietnam still faces numerous obstacles. "Because emission reduction is not the sole responsibility of a single company, as we are part of a shared value chain. Vinamilk also has emission indicators for its suppliers, consumers, and their activities, which, if converted, would account for 80% of total emissions. Therefore, this problem cannot be resolved without the collaboration of businesses and the community." Mr. Minh shared in the forum's periphery.

The "Nature – People – Products" pillars cannot be separated.

Vinamilk is currently one of the world's top 36 largest dairy companies in terms of revenue (Revenue 2022: over 60,000 billion VND). The company currently manages 15 farms and 17 factories domestically and internationally, as well as 13 subsidiaries, joint ventures, and affiliates. Particularly in Vietnam, Vinamilk's network of factories and farms represents the industry's largest scale.

Vinamilk, which operates in the dairy production and breeding industry, bases its sustainable development on three main pillars: Nature - People - Products.

Mr. Le Hoang Minh shared that promoting technology application, implementing international standards practice, increasing the use of green energy, and circular economy are among the four battle axes. Vinamilk's 5-year strategy (from 2022 to 2026).

Vinamilk is renowned for its early awareness and implementation of sustainable development programs. Since 2012, this is a rare domestic organization that has published a reference sustainability report by the GRI global sustainability reporting standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. This report has been audited by the world's leading auditing firm to ensure transparency, clarity, and completeness.

Reduce Carbon Footprint and Strive for Zero Carbon

 Greenhouse gas emission management is one of the eleven key areas in which Vinamilk plans to invest to promote sustainable development. Vinamilk's recent announcement of a roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 and the first factories and farms to achieve carbon neutrality according to international standards PAS 2060:2014 exemplifies this point.

Vinamilk Nghe An Dairy Factory and Vinamilk Nghe An Dairy Farm are the first two units to attain carbon neutrality by PAS2060:2014 standards, having absorbed more than 17,560 tonnes of CO2. This result is a result of the "dual action" of reducing emissions in production and animal husbandry while maintaining a forest fund to absorb greenhouse gases for decades.

Vinamilk was previously the first dairy company in Vietnam to participate in Pathways to Dairy Net Zero (Global Initiative of the Dairy Industry on Net Zero) and the first dairy company in Asia to collaborate with the Framework Organisation. Sustainable Development of the World Dairy Industry (DSF) conducts an assessment program to identify key aspects of sustainable development at Vinamilk and the Vietnamese dairy industry.

With the specific roadmap of 15% greenhouse gas reduction by 2027, 55% reduction by 2035, and Net Zero by 2050, Vinamilk focuses on four aspects of Sustainable Livestock. - Green Production - Environmentally friendly logistics - Sustainable consumption.

Vinamilk's leaders cited the use of the Biogas system to convert waste into resources (fertilizers, water, and gas), and 70% of the farmland is cultivated using only organic methods. 87% of the farm's energy comes from renewable sources, such as Biomass and CNG, which replace fossil fuels; 15% to 20% of the farm's electricity comes from solar power. Additionally, Vinamilk invests in energy-saving technologies including self-propelled robots, heat recovery and reuse systems, etc.

Following the success of the "One Million Trees for Vietnam" program (2012-2020), Vinamilk partnered with the Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper to implement the project of planting trees towards Net Zero in five years (2023-2027). Future "Net Zero forests" will be created to increase tree coverage across the country, thereby reducing the effects of climate change and contributing to the formation of "Net Zero forests." This year, more mangroves will be planted in Ca Mau, as this type of forest has a high CO2 absorption capacity and helps limit many other negative climate change-related phenomena. – Mr. Minh added.

*Carbon footprint is the total amount and level of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the direct or indirect production and consumption of goods and services by humans.

PV