The strategy was approved in 2012, requesting ministries, sectors and localities to build a green growth action plan to apply in reality. However, so far, only 32 out of the 63 cities and provinces and eight ministries and sectors have done this.Nguyen Thi Minh Hien, deputy head of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said many countries are interested in developing low-carbon green growth as it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, improve the quality of economic growth, change manufacturing and consumption structure toward sustainability, and improve local living standards.

Participants said that many localities in the central region were unaware of the importance of the strategy, so failed to build an action plan. Additionally, economic restructuring toward green growth is posing a lot of challenges relating to financial resources, land and planning.

The central region needs about US$15 billion to invest in the field through 2020.

Deputy Director of the Binh Thuan Department of Planning and Investment Phan Nguyen Thanh Tan said the province built a plan to implement the green growth strategy in 2016, defining priority fields for investment of VND36 trillion (US$1.58 billion). However, due to the limited local budget, the province needs capital from the central budget and businesses, he added.

Delegates said that it is necessary to promote green investment and have policies to mobilise public investment for projects in addition to building a mechanism to supervise and evaluate the implementation of the strategy.

Representatives from tourism hubs such as Thua Thien-Hue and Khanh Hoa asked the Government to boost human resources training and promulgate a national strategy and incentives to develop ecotourism.