SABECO Charts Path to Sustainable Leadership in Việt Nam’s Green Transition

Date: November 28, 2025
Source: Việt Nam News, Sustainable Development 2025 Conference, Hà Nội
Speaker: Larry Lee Chio Lim, Deputy General Director, SABECO

Sustainability as a Core Competitiveness Driver

SABECO, one of Việt Nam’s leading brewers, has positioned sustainability as crucial for long-term business resilience amid global shifts towards green manufacturing. Larry Lee Chio Lim emphasized at the recent Sustainable Development 2025 Conference that sustainability influences investment flows, consumer behavior, and regulatory landscapes worldwide.

• Global context:

  • Sustainable finance market hit US$5.87 trillion in 2024
  • Green economy expanded to $7.9 trillion by early 2025 (~9% of listed markets)
  • PwC (2024): Consumers willing to pay ~10% more for sustainable products; nearly 50% actively reduce their environmental impact

• Việt Nam’s alignment:

  • Net Zero 2050 commitment
  • National Green Growth Strategy
  • Power Development Plan VIII

The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and food & beverage sectors in Việt Nam, consuming over 50% of national energy, are identified as “locomotive enterprises” capable of accelerating or stalling the green transition.

SABECO’s Transformative Sustainability Achievements

With 150 years in business, SABECO’s sustainability journey is comprehensive and measurable across energy, waste, water, packaging, and governance:

Energy efficiency measures include rooftop solar generating 7,843 MWh, biomass boilers cutting over 7,400 tonnes of CO2, and over 8% reduction in electricity intensity. Water stewardship involves expanded rainwater harvesting and advanced risk mapping.

Sustainability Framework: Five Interconnected Levers

1. Energy Decarbonisation: Shifting towards renewable sources, reducing fossil fuel dependence.
2. Circular Packaging: Creating closed-loop systems to minimize waste.
3. Water Stewardship: Reducing water use and protecting regional water resources in drought-prone areas.
4. ESG Governance: Board-level oversight, transparent GRI-compliant disclosures, zero data privacy breaches in 2024, and full employee performance evaluation.
5. Community & Supply Chain Resilience: Social programs benefiting tens of thousands, disaster relief efforts, and fostering supply chain sustainability.

Community Impact and Corporate Responsibility

SABECO extends sustainable impact beyond operations into social initiatives:

• "Lighting Up Rural Areas and Borders": benefiting 75,000+ people across 109 km
• Sports Hub outreach: 50,000 youth engaged
• Tết 2025 support: 37,500 households
• Disaster relief: VNĐ4.2 billion mobilised after Typhoon Yagi

Future Roadmap and National Implications

Larry Lee Chio Lim underscored the imperative for systemic transformation:

"Sustainability only becomes real when it becomes systemic."

SABECO’s plans focus on scaling renewables, enhancing circular packaging with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), deepening water resilience, industry collaboration, and upholding governance excellence.

He concluded with a call for shared responsibility:

"Việt Nam’s next chapter will be defined not by the industries of the past, but by the companies that embrace transformation today."

Conclusion

SABECO exemplifies a Vietnamese corporate leader driving industrial sustainability at scale, crucial for meeting the nation’s climate commitments and global competitiveness. Its holistic model—anchored in measurable environmental targets, governance, community care, and circular economy principles—offers a blueprint for sustainable growth within Việt Nam’s fast-evolving economic landscape.

Tags:

Sustainability, SABECO, Green Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Circular Economy, Carbon Emissions, Water Stewardship, ESG Governance, Việt Nam Green Growth

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