What green credit options are being offered by domestic banks such as BIDV and VietinBank?

Currently, many commercial banks in Vietnam, such as BIDV and VietinBank, are actively implementing green credit programs to support businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in investing in environmentally friendly activities. These loans are designed to finance projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste treatment, green transportation, and other sustainable development initiatives.47

The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) is one of the pioneers in green credit, supported by international organizations such as the World Bank (WB), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). BIDV offers preferential loans for projects such as rooftop solar power, wind power, energy-saving technology improvements, and wastewater treatment. Preferential interest rates can range from 5.5% to 7.5% per annum, with flexible loan terms of up to 10-15 years. Furthermore, BIDV also implements other green financial products such as green bonds, green deposits, sustainability-linked loans, and Green Trade Loans.48 49

Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank)50 is also promoting its “Green Finance” program with the GreenUP green credit package valued at VND 5,000 billion, targeting clean energy, wastewater treatment, cleaner production, and environmental protection sectors. VietinBank collaborates with development organizations such as GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation)51 and AFD to support businesses in developing environmental profiles and assessing carbon impact. The Bank also applies a Sustainable Finance Framework and offers preferential interest rates depending on the environmental outcomes of the project.

Besides BIDV and VietinBank, banks such as TPBank, HDBank, SHB, MSB, and ACB are also implementing green financing programs based on support from international organizations such as IFC (International Finance Corporation)52, ADB (Asian Development Bank53), and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). Financing methods include performance-based lending and blended finance.

However, current challenges include the lack of unified green standards and the absence of a clear legal framework for green credit for SMEs. Therefore, enterprises should directly contact the corporate credit departments at banks to find suitable loan packages, develop a transparent MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) plan, and cooperate with specialized organizations to receive technical support and access capital sources.

References

47. FPT IS. (2025). Green Credit Programs of Commercial Banks (NHTM) in Vietnam. FPT IS. https://fpt-is.com/goc-nhin-so/cac-chuong-trinh-tin-dung-xanh-cua-cac-nhtm-tai-viet-nam/
48. BIDV. (2024). BIDV Green Bond Framework. BIDV. https://bidv.com.vn/wps/wcm/connect/cec0c9e6-ced7-4466-8f16-cb77a46bd6c8/BIDV_Green+Bond+Framework.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-cec0c9e6-ced7-4466-8f16-cb77a46bd6c8-oJBZXfR
49. BIDV. (2024, May). Green loans. BIDV . https://bidv.com.vn/vn/doanh-nghiep/san-pham-dich-vu/tin-dung/khoan-vay-xanh
50. VietinBank. (2024). VietinBank – A typical bank in green credit. VietinBank. https://www.vietinbank.vn/phat-trien-ben-vung/tin-dung-ben-vung/vietinbank-ngan-hang-tieu-bieu-ve-tin-dung-xanh-04-html
51. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). (n.d.). Energy support programme. GIZ. https://www.esp.org.vn/vi/
52. International Finance Corporation (IFC). (2021). IFC green finance: Accelerating investment for a sustainable future. IFC. https://www.ifc.org/content/dam/ifc/doc/mgrt/ifc-greenreport-final-web-1-14-21.pdf
53. Asian Development Bank. (n.d.). ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF). Asian Development Bank. https://www.adb.org/what-we-do/funds/asean-catalytic-green-finance-facility/main