Digital Transformation and ESG Governance: Opportunities and Challenges for Vietnamese Enterprises in the Green Integration Era

In the context of globalization and green integration, Vietnamese enterprises face increasing pressures to meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards while simultaneously accelerating digital transformation to maintain competitiveness. This study aims to clarify the opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese enterprises in integrating digital transformation with ESG governance—a topic that remains relatively new and underexplored in Vietnam. A desk research methodology was employed, based on the analysis and synthesis of policy reports, international academic literature, as well as practical business experience and regional comparisons. The findings indicate that digital transformation brings significant benefits to ESG implementation, including enhancing data transparency and reporting capacity, optimizing operations and saving energy, strengthening investor confidence, expanding access to green capital, and fostering circular business models. However, the Vietnamese context also reveals substantial barriers, ranging from high technology investment costs, inconsistent legal frameworks, shortages of digital human resources, to data risks and cybersecurity concerns. These findings underscore that ESG–digital integration should be approached as a long-term strategic orientation rather than a mere compliance requirement. This study contributes by providing a conceptual analytical framework and policy recommendations, helping Vietnamese enterprises not only overcome immediate obstacles but also seize the opportunity to “leapfrog” toward sustainable integration into the global green economy.