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markets, with over 44% growth annually (Vietnam Edtech, 2024).
In terms of knowledge transfer and E-commerce practices for green economic
development, the Vietnam E-commerce Training Report, first released by the Vietnam
E-commerce Association (Vecom) in 2022, indicates that E-commerce training in
Vietnam has garnered attention from government agencies, associations, and businesses.
The 2023 Vietnam E-commerce Training Report highlights encouraging outcomes that
confirm the growth of E-commerce training in Vietnam. Specifically, by 2023, 89 higher
education institutions offered E-commerce courses, 16 provided specialized E-
commerce programs, and 40 offered E-commerce majors (code 7340122). Amid fierce
competition and increasing demand for E-commerce education aligned with green and
sustainable growth, alongside knowledge and skill development, training institutions are
increasingly focused on raising students’ awareness of environmental issues, such as
marketing eco-friendly products, using recyclable packaging, and promoting efficient
logistics to reduce emissions.
E-commerce urgently demands institutional improvements, tools, and legal
policies related to green economic growth
E-commerce influences policy-making bodies and other development actors to
foster and promote readiness for E-commerce adoption, subsequently enabling activities
associated with green economic growth. Over recent years, the rapid growth of E-
commerce has led to the emergence of numerous new business models and various
issues across related fields, requiring regulatory agencies to continuously improve
institutions, tools, and legal policies to promote green economic growth. This includes
state solutions to narrow the E-commerce development gap across regions, emission
reduction strategies for E-commerce logistics, policies encouraging green technology
and techniques, the use of eco-friendly fuels in E-commerce, and efforts to raise public
awareness about responsible environmental practices in purchasing and using goods.
E-commerce growth increases emissions due to demand for fast delivery and
non-eco-friendly packaging
With the rapid growth of E-commerce, consumer demand has risen sharply,
leading to high-frequency buying and selling activities and a strong preference for quick,
on-time delivery, which E-commerce businesses strive to meet. This has led to a
significant increase in carbon emissions from delivery vehicles. In 2022, the World
Economic Forum projected that without intervention, emissions could increase by 36%
by 2030 to meet the demand for online shopping. Emissions from these delivery vehicles
are estimated to increase by six million tons of CO₂. Traffic congestion is projected to
rise by over 21%, resulting in an additional 11 minutes of average daily commute time
per person. Forecasts indicate that delivery vehicle numbers will continue to rise,
accompanied by higher CO₂ emissions and worsening urban congestion. In Vietnam,
alongside the growth in shipped E-commerce goods, widespread, uncontrolled product
refusals under COD (cash-on-delivery) terms have significantly increased the volume
of returned goods. This has also added strain to the E-commerce delivery system.
Regarding the use of non-eco-friendly packaging, the “Plastic Packaging Waste
from E-commerce in Vietnam 2023” report, conducted by WWF Vietnam in
cooperation with VECOM, reveals that in 2023, E-commerce in Vietnam used 332,000
tons of packaging, of which plastic packaging accounted for 171,000 tons. The high
volume of packaging materials, including plastic components, is largely due to the fact
that cardboard packaging increases both packaging and shipping costs compared to other

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