More than 50 economic and environmental journalists and students participated in a two-day media training session in Halong City, Vietnam, from 21 to 22 April 2022.

As one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, Vietnam is expected to experience increasing temperatures, worsening droughts, floods, sea-level rise, and frequent storms in the coming years. These will present significant threats to the country’s efforts on poverty reduction, long-term economic growth and sustainable development.

The EU-Vietnam partnership for a green economy could therefore be critical in overcoming these challenges. Guided by the European Green Deal, the EU’s plan to fundamentally transform its economy in various aspects could also present Vietnam with opportunities to advance its own goals – and vice versa.

Organised by the EU Delegation to Vietnam (EUD), the green growth training helped Vietnamese journalists learn more about the challenges and opportunities ahead in terms of green economic development, the EU-Vietnam partnership and the European Green Deal.

Day one launched with opening remarks from European Union Ambassador to Vietnam, Giorgio Aliberti. Some of the key topics discussed during the sessions included the European Green Deal, Vietnam’s sustainable industries, and how the EU’s clean energy agenda can support sustainable development. The day's final session brought together journalists from the EU and Vietnam for a peer-to-peer discussion on best practices for environmental reporting with Mr Frederic Simon, a journalist with Brussels-based media network Euractiv.

Highlights from day two included sector presentations on clean energy and the circular economy, followed by the panel discussion ‘Can the European Green Deal build momentum for Vietnam’s Green Growth Strategy?’ moderated by prominent journalist Ms. Tran Le Thuy. Participants included Ms. Nguyen Phuong Mai, Deputy Chief of EREA Office, Ministry of Industry and Trade (Clean Energies); Mr. Rui Ludovino, First Counsellor, Climate Action, Environment, Employment and Social Policies, the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam; Mr. Jason Lee, Country Representative, Global Green Growth Institute Vietnam; and Mr. Bruno Jaspaert, General Director of DEEP C Industrial Zones.

Jaespaert and two Belgian co-workers then took the journalists on a site visit to DEEP C Industrial Zones, developed and operated by a Belgian firm, to learn about wastewater treatment and rooftop solar panel production. The group was taken to several areas within the estate, including a road built with plastic bottles, a wind turbine, and a water treatment plant. The visit, which culminated in a Q&A, was well-received by the journalists and was featured in a report on national broadcaster Vietnam Television.