The north-eastern coastal province of Quảng Ninh is taking steps in transiting from brown to green growth as it pursues a course towards sustainable development.
In this land famous for its coal, planting a tree requires years. The efforts already made to transform Quảng Ninh’s economy in the last 5 years have been significant. In 2010, the services sector accounted only 34% of the province’s economy, by the end of 2015, this figure has shifted to 45%.
"Before, coal accounted for 30% in our economy, now it’s just 15%. So we have put more focus on developing tourism in order to balance mining. We’re trying to create a balance between sectors so we can secure sustainable growth", said Nguyen Duc Long, Chairman, Quang Ninh Province People’s Committee.
5 years of transiting from a brown to green economy has witnessed better infrastructure thanks to various international projects in Quang Ninh. The province has successfully called for some 6.5 billion USD in funding from both domestic and international sources.
"We’re only interested in investors that share our vision. We also have to provide incentives to become even more attractive", said Hoang Danh Son, Vice Director, Planning & Investment Department, Quang Ninh Province.
Quang Ninh’s competitiveness index has seen the province climb from 20th to 5th in the rankings. Experts have praised the province’s foresight and early moves towards a more sustainable economic model.
"Quang Ninh has shifted from exploiting resources to developing tourism. It’s really a big step in moving towards a green economy. This way the province has skipped the period of industrialisation", said Tran Dinh Thien, Director, Vietnam Institute of Economics.
In 2020, Quang Ninh Province aims to have service sector as the lead in its economic structure followed by industry. This is a prime example for other cities and provinces to transform their economic models as they pursue sustainable growth.
