Sustainable development of the rubber industry: Enhancing competitiveness with sustainable company certification

The Story of Binh Long Rubber

Bài liên quan

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Since registering to participate in the "Program on Benchmarking and Announcing Sustainable Companies in Vietnam" in 2019, over the past four years, Binh Long Rubber Co., Ltd. has continuously advanced in the Top 100 sustainable companies.

Specifically, "In 2019, for the first time participating in the program, the company ranked 27th among 100 sustainable companies. By 2020, the company "jumped" 14 places to the 13th position. The company ranked 12th in 2021. By 2022, the company entered the Top 10 sustainable companies for the first time and ranked in the 5th position," said Mr. Pham Anh, Deputy General Director of Binh Long Rubber Company.

In addition to the efforts of all staff and workers of Binh Long Rubber Company, the outstanding achievements in the past four years are also the results of the sustainable development programs that the company has persistently performed for many years.

For example, in terms of the social labor index, the company always fully implements policies and regimes for employees and social security (income, working conditions, labor safety assurance, health check-ups for workers, no forced labor, etc.). These indicators at the company not only stop at the level of legal compliance but also ensure long-term and sustainable benefits for employees.

Besides, the environmental indicators in the Sustainable Company Index (CSI) 2022 are updated in line with the provisions of the law as well as the commitment to take common actions around the world to protect the environment, prevent climate change, and conserve and restore biodiversity and natural resources.

In terms of the above-mentioned environmental indicators, the company drastically and effectively deployed the work of environmental protection at all levels, reused wastewater at a level of approximately 100%, and used microbial sludge for probiotic production to replace inorganic fertilizers. Binh Long Rubber Company is also actively conserving nearly 25ha of natural forest with high conservation value (7 out of 188 species of conserved plants are precious and rare plants, and 18 out of 100 species of conserved terrestrial vertebrata are endangered, precious, and rare).

Recognizing the importance of biodiversity conservation, over the years the company has cooperated with the Silviculture Research Institute, assessed the real situation, and offered technical solutions to both conserve the existing flora and fauna and actively implement activities to enrich the forest and increase the diversity of forest flora and fauna. At the same time, the company also implements the consultation of the community and authorities at all levels to disseminate the work of biodiversity conservation in natural forests.

Mr. Pham Anh said that the sustainable development process over the years has recognized the image of the company as an enterprise with its development associated with social responsibility and becoming increasingly known by partners and stakeholders. Thereby creating favorable conditions for the company's brand-building process.

In 2023 and the coming years, Binh Long Rubber will continue to implement the sustainable development policy of "Quality – Brand – Environmental Friendliness - Social Responsibility Improvement."

Enhancing prestige and competitiveness

According to Mr. Truong Minh Trung, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG), as of 2019, the group has deployed participation in the "Program on Benchmarking and Announcing Sustainable Companies in Vietnam" (organized by the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development under VCCI with an annual evaluation and announcement) for subsidiary companies belonging to the industries of rubber, wood processing, rubber industry, and industrial zones.

In its first year of participation, VRG had ten members who ranked in the Top 100 and three members who met the standards of a sustainable company. In 2020, VRG will have two excellent members reaching the Top 10 (Dau Tieng Rubber Co., Ltd. and Ben Thanh Rubber JSC) and 12 other members entering the Top 100 sustainable companies. Besides, there are five members meeting sustainable company standards.

In 2021, 20 subsidiary companies of VRG were in the Top 100 Sustainable Companies. In particular, Dong Nai Rubber Corporation entered the Top 10 and was honored for excellence in respecting and promoting children's rights in business. Ben Thanh Rubber JSC was honored for its excellent implementation of gender equality in the workplace.

In 2022, the Group had 18 subsidiary companies that ranked in the Top 100, of which Binh Long Rubber Co., Ltd. achieved the Top 10 Sustainable Companies in the field of production, and Dong Nai Rubber Corporation was also awarded a bonus, namely "Responsible Businesses on Human and Children's Rights ".

Therefore, over the years, VRG has always had subsidiary companies in the Top 10 sustainable development companies in Vietnam, besides big brands such as Unilever Vietnam, Vinamilk, Heineken, PNJ, and Nestle Vietnam, etc. In addition, every year, the Group's companies were also awarded bonuses for respecting human and children's rights, gender equality in business, etc.

Mr. Truong Minh Trung said that sustainable company certification will help VRG's subsidiary companies evaluate and improve their management systems according to a set of sustainability indicators, improving their reputation, brand, and competitiveness.

The Program on Benchmarking and Announcing Sustainable Companies in Vietnam has been organized annually by VCCI since 2016, in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. The objective of the program is to honor and reward companies that meet the Sustainable Company Index (CSI) in terms of business performance, corporate governance, environmental responsibility, and social affairs.