Sustainable Public Procurement Preparedness Assessment in Vietnam

The report evaluates Vietnam's readiness for Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP), finding that while political will and a general legal framework for sustainable development exist, significant hurdles remain, including a lack of specific guidelines, limited human resource capacity, and higher initial costs for green products. It highlights the timber industry as a viable entry point for SPP due to existing export-driven certifications and government priorities. The document recommends strengthening inter-ministerial cooperation, developing eco-labels, and utilizing the Trust Fund for Forests for early pilot projects.

• The Vietnamese government has integrated sustainable development into its high-level political agenda, specifically through the Sustainable Economic and Social Development Strategy for 2001–2010.
• Vietnam's legal framework provides several entry points for SPP, including the planned Law on Green Procurement for 2015 and the Law on Energy Saving expected by the end of 2009.
• A significant hurdle to SPP is the disconnect between environmental regulations and procurement laws; for example, environmental protection measures in approved Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) are not legally mandated to be included in procurement processes.
• Market readiness for green products is low, with only approximately 200 companies out of 400,000 registered in Vietnam holding cleaner production certificates.
• The timber industry is identified as an ideal starting point for SPP because many export-oriented wood processing enterprises already hold Chain of Custody (CoC) certificates to meet international market requirements.
• Implementing SPP faces financial and capacity constraints, as environmentally friendly products typically have higher initial costs and there is a shortage of procurement staff trained in SPP criteria.
• International donors employ varying strategies in Vietnam, ranging from the World Bank and ADB imposing green procurement as loan conditions to the EU and Japan providing recommendations without direct enforcement.
• The report suggests a pilot project for the procurement of certified timber furniture for schools as a practical first step for SPP implementation at the provincial level.

APA

Ty, H. X., Anh, D. H., & Perera, O. (2011). Sustainable Public Procurement Preparedness Assessment in Vietnam. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_vietnam.pdf

Chicago

Ty, Hoang Xuan, Do Hong Anh, and Oshani Perera. Sustainable Public Procurement Preparedness Assessment in Vietnam. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_vietnam.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ty |first1=Hoang Xuan |last2=Anh |first2=Do Hong |last3=Perera |first3=Oshani |title=Sustainable Public Procurement Preparedness Assessment in Vietnam |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_vietnam.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ty2011sustainable, author = {Ty, Hoang Xuan and Anh, Do Hong and Perera, Oshani}, title = {{Sustainable Public Procurement Preparedness Assessment in Vietnam}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_vietnam.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }