Capacity Building: A Key Enabler to Scaling Sustainable Finance

Capacity building is one of the most important enablers for scaling up sustainable finance—an objective that sits at the heart of CASI’s mission and long-term vision. Recently, CASI Chairman Dr. Ma Jun spoke at a capacity-building workshop organised by the EuroCham Vietnam Sustainable Finance Sector Committee (SFSC), in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ Vietnam) and the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV), held on 10–11 March 2026 in Hanoi at the Banking Academy of Vietnam. The programme brought together central bank officials and banking professionals to strengthen sustainable finance capabilities and support the banking sector’s institutional readiness for Vietnam’s green taxonomy implementation.

Drawing on his experience in developing and advancing green finance taxonomies—including China’s Green Taxonomy, the Common Ground Taxonomy (CGT), and the Multi-jurisdiction Common Ground Taxonomy (MCGT)—Dr. Ma emphasised the importance of harmonisation and interoperability in green standards and definitions. Clear, comparable taxonomy frameworks are critical to support market confidence and enable the credible labelling of green and sustainable financial products.

Vietnam’s Next Phase: From Taxonomy Issuance to Implementation

Vietnam is entering a decisive phase in mainstreaming sustainable finance following the issuance of Decision No. 21/2025/QĐ-TTg, establishing the National Green Taxonomy. With the framework now in place, implementation will require stronger technical capacity across both supervisory and operational levels—within SBV and across financial institutions—to:

• Apply taxonomy criteria consistently in practice,
• Integrate ESG considerations into decision-making, and
• Design and operationalise effective incentive mechanisms to support green credit.

Building Institutional Readiness Through Peer Learning and Dialogue

To support this transition, the EuroCham Vietnam SFSC, together with GIZ, convened a two-day capacity-building forum aimed at strengthening institutional readiness and aligning Vietnam’s sustainable finance ecosystem with evolving international practices. By engaging senior regulators, commercial banks, and European counterparts, the programme created a direct channel for peer learning and policy dialogue on how sustainable finance frameworks are governed and operationalised—from supervisory approaches to product design and disclosure.

Objectives of the Forum:

1. Equip SBV and relevant ministries with knowledge of how green taxonomies, ESG policies, and climate-risk frameworks are implemented in the European financial system.
2. Provide practical insights for regulators and financial institutions on integrating sustainability into lending, investment, and disclosure processes.
3. Foster structured dialogue between Vietnamese and European stakeholders, connecting policy frameworks with operational realities.
4. Develop a roadmap for continued cooperation on sustainable finance capacity building.

CASI looks forward to continued collaboration with partners and stakeholders across Vietnam’s sustainable finance ecosystem to strengthen capacity building on green finance and sustainable investment, facilitate peer learning and policy dialogue, and support the effective deployment of green projects and renewable energy investments in Vietnam and the region.