Speaking at a forum on environment, society and governance (ESG) in Ho Chi Minh City recently, Vice President and General Director of LEGO Vietnam Group, Mr. Preben Elnef said he disagrees with the fact that businesses fix short-term business results just because they think they have to bear the cost of green production,
“There have been a lot of businesses focused on finding a cheap place to produce so they can sell their products with the highest profit. But we have to change that,” emphasized the leader of LEGO Vietnam.
Accordingly, the company is currently building a $1 billion carbon-neutral plant in Vietnam. Mr. Elnef shared that the USD 1 billion investment depends a lot on the level of environmental protection and LEGO chose Binh Duong province based on the conditions of waste treatment, water saving and solar energy. .
“We need to be very serious about our environmental goals,” Elnef said. At the same time, he added that the company “will monitor” progress in meeting its environmental goals.
In addition, the leader of LEGO Vietnam Group informed that the company is also looking for ways to attract and support employees. Migrant workers often live in makeshift homes or have difficulty enrolling children in school, he said, and Lego has asked the local government to support them.
According to Preben Elnef, Lego’s approach was surprising at first.
“Many people as well as some Vietnamese leaders were surprised when LEGO proposed agreements related to renewable energy and supporting workers instead of reducing taxes,” said Mr. Preben Elnef.
“Because, they are used to companies offering investment deals by offering tax incentives for 10-20 years or some other form of financial support,” he said.
Source: Nikkei Asia
