Green consumption becomes a trend that consumers buy products with not only good quality but also environmentally friendly elements.
Green Consumption is more and more popular
The green consumer products are defined as the safe products, not affecting the environment. In the countries where public spending accounts for 10% to 15% of GDP, green procurement is one of the important policy tool for promoting the sustainable production and consumption.
Currently, many countries in the world have policies on green procurement to promote patterns of sustainable production and consumption. These policies also contribute towards a green and low-carbon economy.
In the United States, green procurement is established and implemented in the United States’ programs of green procurement, in which the regulatory agencies are required to consider the environmental impact, cost, and other elements of a product before making a procurement decision.
In Asia, Japan is one of the leading countries in the green consumption movement. The provisions relating to green consumption have been given since 1990; in 2007, Japan enacted the Law on green contract to promote contracts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In Vietnam, the green consumption strategy is also aimed by businesses. Some large supermarkets such as BigC, Co.opMart, Metro... have sold green products like environmentally friendly plastic bags, cartons... these products have a positive role in reducingdecomposed material released into environment. Many supermarkets also organize special promotions such as the promotion of green consumption Month in Co.opMart system and Thu Duc Co.opXtraplus with the highlights that thousands of products of green businesses decrease sharply in price; giving 300,000 environmental bags with beautiful design combining with fruit festival;organizing the competition of drawing blue dream for children (June 2014).
Stimulus measures for Demand of green consumption
Apparently, green consumption is one of the important measures contributing to stimulating consumption and raising awareness of environmental protection of the people. However, in Vietnam, the application of green consumer products is limited. It needs to find out the solutions to stimulate consumption and awareness of the people in the choice of the green consumer products.
Recently, at the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP 20) in Lima - Peru, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha said that Vietnam was acting positively to change perceptions and behavior of individual, implementing smart climate solutions, encouraging green lifestyle, green production and consumption, promoting greenenergy and technology. Particularly, the most important factor focused by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to change perceptions and behavior of individual, especially the young generation.
Besides, the environmental experts also said that toward green consumption and green-oriented economy of Vietnam, there were two important solutions, which were to invest in innovation of science and technology, and reuse and recycle waste.
To implement this solution, it requires to propagate to raise people’s awareness towards green consumption and use of green andenvironmentally friendly products. It should take advantage of the natural resources in Vietnam in the utilization of resources from agriculture and ecological tourism, because Vietnam is in the area of humid tropical monsoon, with the diversified and rich natural landscape that will be favorable conditions for Vietnam to develop these advantages.
In addition, the products as the strength of Vietnam should be aspired, that are the traditional products and the products from the natural advantages.
It is necessary to reform the policy, complete the institution of green consumer market, learn experience and expand cooperation with foreign countries, especially those operations to minimize the impact of climate change, which is also an important solution that Vietnam should target.
