Great potential to connect global green capital flows

According to data from the Climate Bonds Initiative, by the end of 2025, the cumulative size of the sustainable debt market (GSS Debt) reached approximately USD 6.8 trillion, with green bonds playing the leading role at around USD 4.5 trillion (accounting for two-thirds of the total volume). This confirms that international capital resources for sustainable transition projects remain extremely abundant.

Green Capital Connecting Investment Opportunities

In Southeast Asia, countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have quickly seized opportunities, issuing more than USD 43 billion in green bonds over the past five years. Meanwhile, Vietnam is still in the early stages of development, with approximately USD 216 million issued by the banking sector (equivalent to 0.5% compared to the total volume of the three aforementioned nations). This gap demonstrates that Vietnam has immense potential to attract international green capital, requiring synchronized breakthroughs in market infrastructure, financial instruments, and connection mechanisms aligned with international standards.

Vietnam strives to be among the top 75 Financial Centers in the world, with VIFC-HCMC positioned as the core engine transforming climate projects into investable assets. (Illustrative photo)

The Vietnam Green Finance Conference 2026, themed “Where Green Capital Connects Investment Opportunities” with the sponsorship of Optima Wealth Partners, is expected to gather over 200 high-level delegates representing state management agencies, international financial institutions, development banks, investment funds, pioneering enterprises, and leading financial experts on August 6 in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss potential connections for green capital and investment opportunities. This event is jointly organized by the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC), Nam A Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Nam A Bank - HOSE: NAB), FiinGroup, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Vietnam, alongside Optima Wealth Partners.

The Organizing Committee noted that alongside the vast room for connecting green capital, the most critical factor is that Vietnam's legal framework for green finance and investment opportunities has been officially promulgated. This legal springboard comes from Decision 21/2025/QD-TTg and Resolution 98/2023/QH15.

Accordingly, the 2025–2026 period marks a major step forward in both practice and policy frameworks for green finance in Vietnam. In 2025 alone, the market recorded 5 green bond issuance transactions denominated in Vietnam Dong with a total value of VND 3,407 billion, all of which underwent independent assessments according to international standards before issuance.

This substantive development relies on a solid foundation of strategic legal documents, including Decision No. 21/2025/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. This document establishes core standards to help credit institutions, investors, and businesses accurately identify green projects, ensure data transparency, optimize financial product design, and effectively prevent "greenwashing" risks.

Alongside this is Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly—a legal framework providing specific mechanisms for Ho Chi Minh City—creating the premise for establishing VIFC-HCMC as the central hub connecting international capital flows to sustainable infrastructure and green transition projects.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of VIFC-HCMC, affirmed that VIFC-HCMC does not stop at the role of merely "green labeling" financial products. Instead, it positions itself as the core engine transforming climate projects into investable, measurable, guaranteed, mobilized, and cross-border tradable assets under the strictest international standards.

Connecting Development Capital and Issuing Green Bonds

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu, CEO of FiinGroup, emphasized that the most crucial connection point between international capital and green investment opportunities in Vietnam is market trust. "That trust can only be strengthened when project quality is verifiable and risks are fully priced on the basis of transparent data and independent evaluations from reputable institutions," said Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu.

In the 2025–2035 period, Ho Chi Minh City needs an estimated VND 900,000 billion to implement its green transition. Accordingly, green finance will be one of the key focuses of the international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City in the future. (Illustrative photo)

As one of the three co-organizers, Nam A Bank is among the pioneering commercial banks implementing sustainable capital solutions. Nam A Bank is expanding comprehensive cooperation with reputable international development financial institutions.

Core topics—such as: Where does Vietnam stand on the regional and global green finance map? What are international investors looking for in green projects in Vietnam? How can we effectively connect macroeconomic policies, financial tools, and real-world projects? Which financial products (green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, blended finance) will lead the market? What do businesses need to prepare regarding ESG governance and data to be ready to receive capital?—will be discussed by experts and managers.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Huan—Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of VIFC-HCMC—shared that the Vietnam Green Finance Conference 2026 is not merely a dialogue forum, but is expected to generate breakthrough transformations, laying the foundation to unblock cross-border green investment flows. Through close coordination between state management agencies and international financial institutions, the event will contribute to concrete steps toward achieving national strategic goals on green growth and the commitment to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050.

The organizers expect that the initiatives, solutions, and cooperation agreements announced at the conference will become a powerful driving force, helping the Vietnamese business community enhance its capacity to access international capital, promoting the genuine development of sustainable infrastructure and energy projects, and elevating the position of Vietnam's financial market on regional and global maps.