Green Gradually “Green Index”

After the announcement of the PGI index, the province identified difficulties and challenges in implementing component indexes, thereby proposing specific solutions to gradually overcome and improve them.

Overcoming limitations

The PGI Index, developed and published by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), is a set of indicators to evaluate and rank the quality of local environmental governance from the perspective of business practices such as the level of application of environmentally friendly technology by enterprises, the level of environmental management and response of enterprises, the level of interest and willingness to invest in environmental issues by local authorities, and many other important environmental issues. The PGI Index has 4 component indicators including: reducing pollution and natural disasters; ensuring compliance; promoting green practices; incentive policies and support services.

According to the results announced by VCCI, Lang Son province's PGI in 2022 ranked 2nd in the country. However, in 2023, the province's PGI only reached 17.33 points and ranked 62/63 provinces and cities. Faced with the low PGI index compared to the whole country, the province quickly took action to improve and raise the index.

Production activities at Bao Long Company Limited, Ky Lua ward

Specifically, in 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued a plan to improve and enhance the PGI index in 2024 and the following years in the province. It assigned specific tasks to each relevant agency and unit to carry out the contents and work, thereby improving the scores of the component indicators of the PGI index. A typical example is the implementation of the component index "Promoting green practices".

To implement this index, in 2024, relevant levels and sectors organized 4 training courses for 138 cadres, civil servants, and representatives of cooperatives on the production of environmentally friendly and high-tech technologies in the direction of green production; planting over 10,000 hectares of new forests; giving opinions on technology for 16 construction investment projects using technology with limited transfer or construction projects with the risk of negative impacts on the environment; prioritizing the purchase of goods and services from "green" enterprises; continuing to effectively implement environmental education with appropriate content and forms, promoting green practices with 650 participating units, organizing 1,450 rallies and propaganda sessions with nearly 190,500 participants; organizing 1 propaganda conference to raise awareness about the benefits of applying cleaner production in industry for all levels and production facilities in the province; Strengthen strict control and strictly handle owners of vehicles that do not ensure emissions causing environmental pollution...

“Based on the results of Lang Son's PGI index, VCCI recommends that Lang Son province needs to identify environmental quality as an important factor, integrate environmental protection issues into the center of socio-economic development plans in the area; continue to strictly enforce environmental laws, including ensuring standards and regulations on environmental protection; increase the participation of stakeholders, especially enterprises, in the process of building, implementing and monitoring policies and laws related to the environment; widely disseminate information on environmental policies and laws to the business community; focus on attracting responsible business investment projects; refer to the results of the PGI index to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the locality, on that basis review the assessment indicators in each field to identify the stages and areas that need to be overcome...

Ms. Le Thanh Ha, Head of Business Environment Department, Legal Department, Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)

In 2024, the component index of "Promoting green practices" in the province reached 6.71 points, an increase of 3.11 points compared to 2023. Along with that, other component indexes were also focused on implementation and achieved positive results. Specifically, the component index of "Minimizing pollution and natural disasters" reached 4.95 points, an increase of 0.11 points; the index of "Ensuring compliance" reached 4.95 points, an increase of 0.81 points and the index of "Encouraging policies and support services" reached 6.02 points, an increase of 1.27 points compared to 2023. The total PGI index score in 2024 of Lang Son province reached 22.63 points, an increase of 5.3 points compared to 2023 and ranked 31/63 provinces and cities.

Although there have been positive changes in terms of scores and rankings compared to other provinces and cities, in reality, the implementation of the PGI index in the province still faces many difficulties and limitations. Therefore, relevant levels and sectors continue to focus on implementing specific solutions to improve this index.

Keep improving

To continue to improve and enhance the PGI index, from the beginning of 2025 until now, all levels and sectors have continued to implement solutions specified in the plans of the Provincial People's Committee as well as the units. In particular, from July 1, 2025 onwards, together with the whole country, the province has implemented the 2-level local government model. Therefore, currently, all levels and sectors continue to implement measures to improve and enhance the PGI index in accordance with practical conditions.

“To improve and enhance the PGI index, the province needs to continue to promote administrative procedure reform, simplify procedures, especially those related to land and investment; strengthen inspection and supervision, enhance the responsibility of officials and civil servants; organize regular dialogues with the business community to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, effectively implement policies to support businesses, especially policies related to green economic development; strengthen propaganda and dissemination of legal regulations on environmental protection, have policies to encourage and support businesses to invest in clean technology, effectively treat waste and develop circular economic models.”

Mr. Ha Xuan Quang, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Business Association

Mr. Trieu Duc Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: In order to improve and enhance the PGI index in 2025 and the following years, in early September 2025, the unit coordinated with the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to organize training and knowledge development in organizing and implementing the PGI index for about 130 delegates from relevant departments, branches, units, and People's Committees of communes and wards in the province. Thereby, providing necessary information, answering questions of officials and civil servants on contents related to component indexes, implementation methods and solutions to overcome low scores.

In the coming time, the unit will continue to advise on strengthening state management of environmental protection through specific tools; continue to advise on monitoring the current state of the province's environment according to regulations to control environmental quality in the province; coordinate in implementing propaganda and dissemination of legal education on environmental protection to businesses and people in the area; coordinate in monitoring and requesting industrial parks in the province to invest in building centralized wastewater treatment systems to meet environmental protection requirements...

In addition to the participation of relevant departments, branches and units, the People's Committees of communes and wards also proactively implement measures to improve the PGI index such as: continuing to review and implement centralized waste classification, collection and treatment when meeting the conditions (in terms of infrastructure, socialized funding) according to regulations; promptly coordinating measures to prevent and avoid natural disasters caused by climate change; strengthening measures to ensure environmental sanitation, etc.

Ms. Nong Thi Huyen Trang, Vice Chairman of Cai Kinh Commune People's Committee, said: There are currently 7 mineral exploitation enterprises in the commune as well as activities directly related to the environment. To improve the PGI index, including contents related to environmental content, the Commune People's Committee has organized meetings with enterprises and households around the production area to listen to opinions and grasp information on environmental protection work; organize delegations to inspect and supervise the implementation of environmental regulations of enterprises... At the same time, in the coming time, the Commune People's Committee will continue to strengthen the dissemination of contents related to the 4 component indexes of the PGI index to raise awareness of people and enterprises. Thereby, contributing to the whole province to successfully implement the goals of improving and enhancing the PGI index according to the set plan.

With the solutions that have been and are being implemented, we believe that in the coming time, the PGI index in the province will continue to improve. Thereby contributing to promoting the improvement of the investment and business environment towards green and sustainable development; contributing to the overall socio-economic development in the province.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/cai-thien-chi-so-xanh-5058550.html