EU praises Vietnam’s creative community for advancing sustainable design

THE HANOI TIMES — The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Vietnam has acknowledged the Vietnamese creative community’s evolving mindset, noting its growing role in shaping new design trends that support green growth and long-term sustainability.

“Sustainable development is no longer a supplementary element in design but is gradually becoming a core mindset, a shared foundation and a common value embraced by Vietnam’s creative community,” said EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier.

Sharing with The Hanoi Times on the occasion of awarding winners of the EU–Vietnam Sustainable Design Awards (EVSDA) 2025, he assessed the clear transformation of Vietnamese designers in their efforts to adapt to environmental challenges and climate change.

According to Ambassador Guerrier, sustainable development is not merely a matter of technology or infrastructure but a transformation of society as a whole.

This journey requires changes in habits, a reimagining of living spaces, the redesign of products and the reshaping of lifestyles, in which creativity plays a pivotal role in reconnecting people with their living environment in a more harmonious way.

Join hands for sustainable values

The ambassador shared the view on the occasion of the EVSDA ceremony held on December 12 at the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) in Hanoi to honor 20 groups of authors with outstanding projects in four categories: Architecture, Product Design, Communication Design and Breakthrough Initiative.

Four projects received the Grand Prize, including “Development of compressed interlocking stabilized earth bricks for environmentally friendly housing, using local materials and labor and contributing to Vietnam’s net-zero commitment” (Breakthrough Initiative), “TAM” (Product Design), “Voice Gems: 1000 Year Archive” (Communication Design) and “Clay Pot House” (Architecture).

According to the organizers, representatives of the four Grand Prize-winning teams will receive a one-week residency in European countries, with support from the embassies of the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy.

The residency program is expected to open opportunities for exchange, learning and professional development in an international design environment for young Vietnamese creatives.

In addition to the Grand Prize, the EVSDA also presented the Audience’s Choice Award, Emerging Designer Award and Outstanding Project Award to projects such as “BioWraps,” “The Journey of Straw,” “Carbon Craft Eyewear,” and “Mekong Delta.”

These awards reflect the diversity of approaches as well as the growing reach of sustainable design thinking within Vietnam’s creative community.

The award ceremony also featured an exhibition of 79 shortlisted works, offering the public direct access to design ideas linked to environmental protection, practical application and social value.

According to the organizers, the honored works and projects serve as compelling models, demonstrating how creativity can lead to environmental responsibility, enhance adaptability and generate long-term value.

They also align with the overall theme of the awards, inspired by three natural elements: Wind, representing creativity and uniqueness; Water, symbolizing adaptability and practical application in daily life; and the Sun, standing for sustainability and long-term value.

The EVSDA marks an important step forward in EU–Vietnam cooperation to promote sustainable development through culture, creativity and innovation and highlights Vietnam’s potential to take a leading role in environmental protection, adaptation and the creation of lasting sustainable values.

Ambassador Guerrier spoke highly of the strong shift within Vietnam’s design community, noting that a growing number of projects are pursuing circular thinking, using local materials, tapping local resources and introducing creative experiments that reflect a deeper awareness of environmental responsibility, adaptability and long-term value.

He said that the EVSDA forms part of the EU’s commitment to accompanying Vietnam in its green transition through cultural cooperation, creative capacity building and the promotion of sustainable industries.

These efforts are in line with the EU–Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and the orientation of the Global Gateway strategy.

The EVSDA is an initiative under the EU’s Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy Project, aiming to honor outstanding Vietnamese designers who harness the power of creativity to promote green lifestyles, sustainable consumption and harmonious development with the environment.

Launched in 2021, the EU’s Global Gateway strategy seeks to address major global challenges, including climate change, resilient health systems and secure supply chains.

In ASEAN, it focuses on innovation, research cooperation, sustainable development and academic exchange, with the EU and its Member States committing to mobilize at least €10 billion (US$11.7 billion) for high-quality, sustainable projects between 2021 and 2027.

Sharing about this, EU Ambassador to ASEAN Sujiro Seam told The Hanoi Times that the financial package aims to support an enabling environment for quality and sustainable investments in the region.

Under the umbrella of this package that contributes to the Global Gateway in ASEAN, they have new projects planned or starting in areas such as investment, trade, higher education, transport, energy connectivity and digitalization.

The strategy aims to promote people-to-people connectivity and investment in education and research, which are key components of the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership, Seam stressed.