GRECO 2024 Green Growth Showcase Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City hosted the “GRECO 2024” exhibition, a platform for businesses to promote green growth products and services and raise public awareness of sustainability.
It was great to visit the exhibition and see the green technologies and services being developed in HCMC.
GRECO 2024 Green Growth HCMC Key Takeaways & Strategic Insights for DecarbSol
1. A Platform for Visibility & Networking
GRECO provided a meaningful stage for companies to present credible, sustainable technologies to both local and regional audiences. The ability to display green energy, machine systems, IoT-based monitoring, and industrial applications in high-traffic public walkways allowed deeper exposure. For DecarbSol, participation in such platforms helps raise brand legitimacy, attract potential partners, and engage stakeholders who are already exploring real decarbonisation solutions, not just promotional green claims.
2. Demand Signals & Innovation Gaps
The volume and diversity of exhibitors signals growing appetite among Vietnamese and Southeast Asian industries for renewable integration, efficiency upgrades, and clean-tech tooling. The fact that so many firms brought practical products like energy management systems, solar + storage, smart sensors, and industrial solutions suggests that markets are ready for in-field decarbonisation. For DecarbSol, one of the gaps observed is the need for end-to-end consulting + implementation + verification, bridging technical design and real deployment—a role your firm is well positioned to fill.
3. Collaboration & Public-Private Synergies
GRECO’s alignment with the city’s green growth strategy, and its integration into the economic forum, highlights how public policy, incentives, and regulatory will can amplify adoption. For DecarbSol, it underscores that sustainability projects often succeed when embedded in governmental frameworks, climate funding, or regional strategy. The event emphasized business–government–technology linkages, which is crucial for achieving scalable decarbonization outcomes.
4. The Persistence of Greenwashing Gimmicks
Despite the impressive innovation and serious solutions presented at GRECO 2024, there were still disappointing reminders that not all products on display align with credible science or genuine decarbonisation practices. Once again, I encountered the so-called “fuel-saving magnets” — this year rebranded as a Smart AI Magnet, proudly carrying its usual round of “certifications” and “verifications.”
The pitch was familiar: attach the device to a natural gas pipeline or vehicle fuel hose, and instantly achieve fuel savings and emissions reductions. Of course, no robust data, peer-reviewed trials, or verifiable measurement frameworks were provided. Instead, the marketing leaned on buzzwords like AI and smart technology, simply adapting old pseudoscience to modern sustainability trends.
As professionals in the field, it is critical to distinguish between genuine innovation and greenwashing gimmicks. At DecarbSol, our ethos is simple: real savings, real emissions reduction, no shortcuts. We measure performance through internationally recognised methodologies such as IPMVP and detailed emissions analysis. Events like GRECO remind us that while the green transition is accelerating, vigilance is required to keep credibility at the core of the sustainability sector.