Green employment indicator set - Data foundation for policy institutionalization

In the context where Viet Nam is accelerating the transformation of its growth model towards sustainability and implementing climate commitments, the requirements placed on state management are no longer limited to the establishment of objectives, but must be accompanied by the capacity to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of policy implementation. Therefore, the research on developing a Green Employment Statistical Indicator Set should be regarded as a step with clear institutional significance. According to the press release dated 3 March 2026, this serves as a basis for its early official promulgation in order to strengthen the statistical system and support green growth and sustainable development.

In essence, any public policy that seeks to be effective requires a sufficiently reliable data system as the basis for policy formulation, implementation, monitoring, and adjustment. In the field of green employment, this requirement becomes even more urgent because it is a new category simultaneously related to labour, environment, energy, and economic restructuring. When an appropriate statistical indicator set is available, state agencies will have a clearer basis to identify changes in the labour market, determine new skill demands, and assess the impact of the green transition on livelihoods and employment. This constitutes an important premise for management decisions to be issued on the basis of evidence rather than relying solely on qualitative projections.

The Green Employment Indicator Set also demonstrates the clear legal–social significance of this system of indicators. Accordingly, high-quality statistical data on green employment will make the green transition more concrete and equitable, because from data on new jobs, skill requirements, and groups that may be affected, policymakers can design appropriate training programmes, support workers in overcoming structural changes, and ensure adequate employment opportunities for everyone. From a legal perspective, this serves as a basis to strengthen equity, inclusiveness, and the human-protective orientation in the transition towards a greener economy.

Speaking at the Conference, Ms. Do Thi Ngoc, Deputy Director General of the Statistics Office, emphasized that in the context where Viet Nam is implementing the National Strategy on Green Growth, transforming the growth model towards sustainability, and fulfilling international commitments on climate change, statistical work must provide a system of timely, complete, and reliable information and data to serve policy formulation, monitoring, and evaluation. This emphasis carries particular significance from the perspective of rule-of-law governance: policies must not only be properly oriented but must also have mechanisms for monitoring through indicators and data in order to verify the effectiveness of implementation.

From the perspective of developing management instruments, the establishment of green employment indicators also reflects efforts to concretize global concepts into practical tools suitable to the conditions of Viet Nam. The press release states that the project was implemented through close coordination between the Institute for Strategy and Policy on Economy–Finance and the Statistics Office, focusing on identifying key definitions, scope, and measurement methods, while ensuring consistency with international statistical standards. This is a core requirement for a tool to move towards institutionalization: concepts must be clear, scope must be transparent, methods must be consistent, and the tool must be capable of stable application in state management practice.

Notably, this indicator set has not been limited to theoretical research but has also been tested through pilot surveys. Initial results show that the indicators possess a solid methodological foundation, reflect the realities of Viet Nam’s economy, and can be integrated into the national statistical system after further refinement. Surveys conducted in Quang Ninh and Phu Tho also indicate that green employment is expanding beyond traditionally “green” sectors, reflecting a broad transformation of the labour market. This demonstrates that the object of state management in this field is becoming increasingly evident, requiring the early establishment of official measurement tools to support policy administration.

However, the transition from research to institutionalization remains a stage that requires further efforts. A representative of the Statistics Office also noted that the measurement of green employment is a complex and continuously evolving field; therefore, it is necessary to further refine the methodology, strengthen data sharing, and maintain coordination among agencies. From a legal perspective, this reflects the requirement to improve institutional capacity: for statistical instruments to operate effectively, an inter-sectoral coordination mechanism, a synchronized data platform, and sufficiently rigorous implementation procedures are required.

It can be seen that the project to develop the Green Employment Statistical Indicator Set is not only a professional cooperation activity between Viet Nam and Denmark but also a necessary preparatory step to make data the foundation of modern state governance. When further refined and integrated into the national statistical system, this indicator set will contribute to improving the quality of policy formulation, monitoring, and adjustment in the fields of labour, employment, and human resource development associated with green growth and sustainable development.