1. Overview of Vietnam’s Environmental Regulations

Vietnam’s environmental protection legal system mainly consists of the following parts:

1.1 Constitutional principles

Article 29 of the Vietnamese Constitution provides for the principles of environmental protection and emphasizes the state’s responsibility for environmental protection.

1.2 Environmental Protection Law

The Environmental Protection Law is Vietnam’s comprehensive environmental protection law, which stipulates the country’s basic environmental protection policies and framework. The law encourages the protection, rational use and conservation of natural resources and prohibits destructive development and illegal use of natural resources.

1.3 Single Line Method

These laws include the Land Law, the Mineral Law, the Water Resources Law, etc., which provide detailed provisions on the use and protection of specific resources.

1.4 Standards and regulations

Regarding environmental quality standards, emission standards, etc., companies must comply with these standards to ensure environmental compliance.

1.5 New revisions

The new Environmental Protection Law, passed in November 2020 and effective on January 1, 2022, added environmental protection indicators for classifying investment projects, dividing projects into four categories: high-risk, possible impact, low-risk and no-impact projects.

2. Vietnam’s unique environmental regulations and requirements

2.1 Environmental management agencies

Vietnam’s environmental management is the responsibility of the Ministry of Resources and Environment and the Departments of Resources and Environment of provinces and cities. There are full-time environmental protection officials in the park who are responsible for specific environmental supervision and management.

2.2 Park-specific environmental protection requirements

New projects in the park must undergo an environmental impact assessment and are classified and managed according to the risk level of the project. The park may set emission standards that are stricter than national standards, especially in high-polluting industries such as chemicals and manufacturing. Enterprises in the park must follow specific waste management regulations, including the treatment and disposal requirements of solid waste and hazardous waste. Some parks encourage enterprises to obtain green certification, such as ISO 14001, to promote sustainable development.

2.3 Differences from general regions

Environmental protection supervision in industrial parks is usually stricter to ensure the environmental quality of concentrated production areas. Many industrial parks are equipped with centralized wastewater treatment and solid waste treatment facilities. Enterprises need to pay for their use, but enjoy convenient treatment services. Some industrial parks provide environmental protection incentives, such as tax exemptions, technical support, etc., to encourage enterprises to adopt environmental protection technologies and measures.

3. Actual case analysis

3.1 Northern Region – Hanoi Industrial Park

Enterprises must comply with strict wastewater discharge standards, and the park provides centralized wastewater treatment facilities. An electronics manufacturing company set up a factory in the park and reduced wastewater treatment costs through the park’s centralized treatment facilities, and obtained ISO 14001 certification. 3.2 Central Region – Da Nang Special Economic Zone

New projects are required to undergo detailed environmental impact assessments, especially those involving marine resources. A food processing company set up a production base in the Da Nang Special Economic Zone, passed a strict environmental impact assessment (EIA) review, and adopted advanced wastewater treatment technology to meet the environmental protection requirements of the park.

3.3 Southern Region – Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Zone

The high-tech zone requires enterprises to adopt green production technologies and reduce carbon emissions. A high-tech company set up a research and development center in the park, using renewable energy such as solar and wind energy, in line with the park’s low-carbon development policy.

4. Policy recommendations and conclusions

Enterprises should choose appropriate industrial parks according to their own industry characteristics and environmental protection needs to make full use of the park’s unique environmental protection policies and support. Enterprises should establish a sound environmental management system to ensure compliance with Vietnam’s and the park’s environmental protection laws and standards. Vietnam’s environmental protection policies may be updated at any time, and enterprises should keep an eye on them and adjust their strategies in a timely manner. At the same time, enterprises should make full use of the centralized treatment facilities and environmental protection incentives provided by the park to reduce environmental protection costs and improve sustainable development capabilities.

5. Implementation and supervision of environmental regulations in Vietnam industrial parks

5.1 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Before a project is approved, the enterprise must submit an environmental impact assessment report, which must analyze in detail the potential impact of the project on air, water, soil, noise, etc. The enterprise can start construction only after the government environmental protection department has reviewed and approved it. The environmental protection department regularly checks the actual operation of the project to ensure that it complies with the commitments in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. For enterprises that fail to meet the standards, the environmental protection department may impose fines, set a deadline for rectification, and other measures.

5.2 Emission standards and monitoring

Enterprises in the park must comply with national and local emission standards, and some parks may have stricter requirements. Key pollutants to be monitored include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, etc. The park is equipped with online monitoring equipment to monitor the emission of enterprises in real time. Enterprises are required to submit emission monitoring reports regularly and accept spot checks by environmental protection departments.

5.3 Waste Management

Enterprises are required to collect and dispose of solid waste and hazardous waste in a classified manner. There are centralized treatment facilities in the park, which enterprises must use in accordance with regulations. The environmental protection department supervises the waste treatment process to ensure that it meets environmental protection standards. Enterprises that handle waste in violation of regulations will face severe penalties.

6. Challenges and opportunities of environmental regulations in Vietnam’s industrial parks

6.1 Challenges

Vietnam’s environmental regulations are constantly updated, and companies need to keep up with them. Strict environmental requirements may increase the compliance costs of companies. Some parks require the use of advanced environmental protection technologies, and companies need to have the corresponding technical capabilities.

6.2 Opportunities

Environmental protection incentives provided by the government and the park can reduce the operating costs of enterprises. Enterprises that meet environmental protection requirements can enhance their brand image and strengthen their market competitiveness. By adopting green technology and management, enterprises can achieve long-term sustainable development.

7. Future trends of environmental regulations in industrial parks in Vietnam

7.1 Tighter policies

The Vietnamese government is stepping up its environmental law enforcement efforts, and the environmental protection requirements of the industrial parks may become more stringent in the future. Enterprises need to plan ahead and be prepared for environmental compliance.

7.2 Technological Innovation

Vietnam encourages enterprises to adopt advanced environmental protection technologies, such as clean production and circular economy, etc. Enterprises can reduce environmental protection costs and improve resource utilization efficiency through technological innovation.

7.3 International Cooperation

Vietnam actively participates in international environmental protection cooperation and may introduce more international standards in the future. Enterprises need to pay attention to international environmental protection trends and improve their own environmental protection capabilities.

8. Practical application suggestions

Enterprises should set up a dedicated environmental compliance team to follow up and implement policies, and conduct regular environmental training to improve employees’ environmental awareness and skills. In addition, enterprises should invest in advanced environmental equipment and technology to improve the environmental protection level of the production process. At the same time, they should actively communicate with the government and park management agencies to obtain the latest policy information and support.

9. Environmental protection strategies of enterprises in Vietnam industrial parks

9.1 Environmental Compliance Strategy

Enterprises should conduct comprehensive environmental compliance audits regularly to identify potential compliance risks and make timely corrections. At the same time, they should establish compliance files and keep all documents and records related to environmental protection for inspection and audit. In addition, they should install real-time monitoring equipment to ensure that emissions and waste treatment meet standards.

9.2 Application of Environmental Protection Technology

Enterprises should adopt low-energy, low-pollution clean production technologies to reduce resource consumption and pollution emissions. They should explore ways to recycle waste resources, transform waste into reusable resources, and introduce energy-saving equipment and processes to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

9.3 Environmental protection culture construction

Enterprises should improve their employees’ environmental awareness and sense of responsibility through training and publicity, integrate environmental protection concepts into corporate culture, and encourage employees to participate in environmental protection activities. In addition, enterprises should also actively participate in community environmental protection activities to enhance their corporate social responsibility image.

10. The impact of Vietnam’s industrial park environmental protection policies on foreign-invested enterprises

10.1 Opportunities

Foreign-invested enterprises that meet environmental standards are more likely to gain market access and policy support, while environmental compliance can enhance corporate brand image and market competitiveness. Enterprises with good environmental performance are more likely to attract green investment and partners, thereby increasing investment attractiveness.

10.2 Challenges

Strict environmental protection requirements may increase the compliance and operating costs of enterprises. Some environmental protection technologies have high requirements and enterprises need to have corresponding technical capabilities. In addition, environmental protection policies may be updated at any time, and enterprises need to remain flexible.

11. International comparison of Vietnam’s environmental regulations

Vietnam’s environmental regulations are similar to those of China in some aspects, but may differ in enforcement and details. Vietnam pays more attention to international cooperation and the introduction of standards. Among other ASEAN countries, Vietnam’s environmental regulations are relatively strict, especially in the management of industrial parks. Vietnam actively participates in ASEAN’s environmental cooperation and is committed to improving regional environmental standards.

12. Best Practices for Environmental Compliance in Industrial Parks in Vietnam

Enterprises should learn from the environmental compliance cases of successful enterprises, draw on their experiences and lessons, select suppliers and partners with good environmental compliance performance, and ensure green compliance of the supply chain. At the same time, through technological innovation and management innovation, enterprises’ environmental compliance capabilities and competitiveness can be improved.

13. Conclusion and Future Outlook

Environmental compliance is a basic requirement for enterprises operating in Vietnam’s industrial parks. Enterprises need to make environmental compliance part of their long-term strategy.

Technological innovation and international cooperation will be the focus in the future. Enterprises need to actively introduce advanced technologies and participate in international environmental protection cooperation.

Sustainable development is the core competitiveness of enterprises. Through environmental compliance and sustainable development strategies, enterprises can achieve long-term success in the Vietnamese market.