The green economy is no longer just an environmental goal but a central driver of national competitiveness and economic restructuring. Countries like South Korea, Germany, and China have institutionalized green growth through long-term strategies, legal frameworks, and binding emissions targets, while Vietnam has adopted its own National Strategy on Green Growth for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050. The article outlines how these nations are using renewable energy expansion, efficiency gains, and carbon-neutral commitments to reposition themselves in global value chains, and it highlights the IEA data showing clean energy contributed roughly $320 billion to global GDP growth in 2023. For Vietnam, the green transition is tied directly to export market access, as border carbon adjustments and green supply chain standards become stricter. The strategy includes specific targets: cutting greenhouse gas emission intensity per GDP by at least 15% by 2030, maintaining forest cover at 42-43%, and reaching about 95% urban solid waste treatment by 2030. The piece compares policy frameworks across countries, offering useful context for anyone tracking how decarbonization is shaping trade, investment, and industrial policy in Asia and Europe.
