Page 537 - Ebook HTKH 2024
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national strategy on green growth for the period 2021 - 2030 and vision to 2050, green
consumption is an important topic mentioned in the Government (2021). Vietnam’s
State has enacted supportive policies by encouraging and subsidizing environmental
companies providing centralized waste collection-services. Some shops have subsidized
and provided paper bags and reusable bags with cheap prices in order to limit the current
rampant use of plastic bags. The Author Anh, N.V. (2023) confirms that green
consumption in Vietnam has been gaining momentum in recent years. Many businesses
have adopted green practices. The Vietnamese government is promoting green
consumption through various policies and initiatives aimed at sustainable development.
According to Khai. N.T & Anh. N.T.L. (2019) green consumption is becoming a global
trend as environmental protection is an urgent task. Consumers have increasingly been
aware of green products and prioritized purchasing green products, especially
domestically produced goods. In light of Vietnam's economic development, green
consumption is on the rise, accompanied by a growing willingness among consumers to
invest in eco-friendly products (Huyen P.T, 2023). Promoting green consumption is
believed to be an effective solution to protect the environment and public health and
move toward sustainable development.
The methodology of this paper is based on Vietnamese people’s spending and
consumption patterns related to foods as well as production methods and use of input
materials in Vietnam’s enterprises and companies. Data collected from scholarly books
and articles on spending and consumption habits of Vietnamese people. Some data cited
from international organizations and foreigners researching Vietnam’s green economy.
3. Theoretical basis of green consumption
The term “green consumption” appeared in the 1960s in Europe and the United
States. In 1963, the International Organization of Consumer Unions (IOCU) firstly
proposed the concept of green consumption and argued that consumers should have
green obligations. However, until now, this term is still used with many different names
and approaches, such as: According to Mainieri et al. (1997) “Green consumption is the
shopping behavior of friendly products, beneficial to the environment, these are products
that create favorable conditions for the long-term goal of protecting and preserving the
environment”. According to Chan (2001), green consumption demonstrates its
responsibility to protect the environment through choosing environmentally friendly
products, having reasonable consumption and waste treatment. According to Nguyen
The Khai and Nguyen Thi Lan Anh (2016), green consumption does not stop at green
shopping behaviors but is also a series of behaviors viewed from the perspective of
sustainable development: Buying organic food is eco-friendly, recycle, reuse, save and
use environmentally friendly transportation systems. Authors Bich Ngoc (2020) and Vu
Phong (2021) say that green consumption is the purchase and use of products that are
environmentally friendly, do not harm human health, and do not threaten the ecosystem
naturally.
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