Vinamilk Now Owns Three Carbon-Neutral Certified Units: A New Milestone in the Journey to Net Zero
Vinamilk has recently achieved a major milestone with three of its units (two factories and one farm) receiving carbon neutrality certifications, demonstrating the company’s significant progress towards its Net Zero goal by 2050.
VIETNAM BEVERAGE FACTORY – A NEW ADDITION TO VINAMILK’S “GREEN” FACTORY SYSTEM
In a recent development, Vinamilk has been awarded the international Carbon Neutrality certification (PAS 2060:2014) for its Vietnam Beverage Factory by the British Standards Institution (BSI). The factory’s total carbon neutralized emissions, including Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, amounted to 3,410 tons of CO2e. This achievement is the result of the factory’s dual efforts to reduce emissions in production while simultaneously maintaining a green fund to absorb greenhouse gases over several years.
Established and operational since 2010, the Vietnam Beverage Factory is situated in Ben Cat Town, Binh Duong Province. The factory has continuously invested in enhancing its production capabilities and currently boasts a design capacity of over 282 million products per year. It manufactures popular Vinamilk product lines such as Susu and Yomilk yogurt drinks, Sure Prevent milk powder for adults, and Icy beverages.
In line with Vinamilk’s sustainable development strategy, the Vietnam Beverage Factory has implemented numerous environmentally friendly, green production solutions for many years. These solutions include utilizing renewable energy sources, employing energy-saving technologies in product sterilization and cooling, and implementing heat recovery systems.
Currently, green and clean energy sources (including solar energy and CNG) account for over 92% of the factory’s energy consumption. According to the greenhouse gas inventory report, the factory’s emissions in 2023 have decreased by 30% compared to 2022. The factory’s “greening” efforts have enabled it to meet stringent international standards, such as the ISO 50001 energy certification, ISO 14001 environmental certification, and now the PAS 2060:2014 Carbon Neutrality certification.
“Comprehensive and detailed emission assessment and quantification provide companies with an accurate perspective to establish a structured roadmap for emission reduction and ultimately achieve carbon neutrality. As the entity responsible for verifying these activities at multiple Vinamilk factories, we can confidently state that their practices serve as exemplary models for businesses embarking on their green transformation journey and contributing to Vietnam’s collective Net Zero goal,” said Mr. Le Duy Anh, General Director of BSI Vietnam.
Previously, two other Vinamilk units, the Nghe An Milk Factory and the Nghe An Dairy Farm, were the first in the dairy industry to achieve carbon neutrality certification according to PAS 2060:2014. Notably, within less than a year of announcing the “Vinamilk Pathways to Dairy Net Zero 2050” action program, Vinamilk has already secured this certification for three of its units.
REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EVERY PRODUCT DELIVERED TO CONSUMERS
Following the launch of the Vinamilk Pathways to Dairy Net Zero 2050 action program in mid-2023, Vinamilk has continuously implemented projects aimed at reducing carbon footprint while maintaining and expanding tree-planting initiatives to form carbon sinks. Specifically, Vinamilk is increasing the utilization of green and clean energy sources to replace fossil fuels, optimizing production technologies to reduce emissions and promote environmental friendliness, and exploring projects that facilitate resource conservation through recycling and circularity.
Green production is one of four strategic pillars identified by Vinamilk in its pursuit of Net Zero, alongside Sustainable Livestock Farming, Eco-friendly Logistics, and Sustainable Consumption. With synchronized, comprehensive solutions across these four aspects, Mr. Le Hoang Minh, Vinamilk’s Manufacturing Executive Director and Project Leader for Net Zero, expressed confidence that additional units will achieve carbon neutrality in the near future, demonstrating Vinamilk’s unwavering commitment and determination to reduce its carbon footprint on the path to Net Zero.
Mr. Le Hoang Minh added, “Vinamilk is systematically implementing solutions that encompass environmentally friendly technologies, green energy transition, and circular economy principles to establish factory models that are not only modern and internationally certified but also increasingly green. With the unwavering resolve of our leadership and the dedication of our entire workforce, Vinamilk will intensify its efforts to ensure that every product we deliver to our consumers bears a progressively smaller carbon footprint.”
At the Vietnam Beverage Factory, for instance, 2023 witnessed six initiatives implemented to conserve electricity and energy, proposed by the factory’s employees. Additionally, the factory has adopted various initiatives such as using a machine to process food waste into fertilizer for plants, employing a machine to collect and sort product packaging for recycling, promoting the use of bicycles/electric vehicles within the premises, expanding green spaces, and digitizing file storage and retrieval instead of printing, further contributing to a “greener” work environment.
It is noteworthy that the leading Vietnamese dairy company currently implements close to 20 internationally recognized management systems across its entire operational chain, ensuring that its products not only meet stringent food safety and hygiene requirements but also adhere to sustainable development principles. Vinamilk is actively collaborating with consulting firms and leading experts in dairy industry sustainability, both domestic and international, to develop solutions that are best suited to the specific conditions in Vietnam.
