GS Retail, Industry's First to Obtain ISO 14001 and 9001 Simultaneous Certification

On the 21st, at GS Tower in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, (from right in the photo) Hyunsoo Heo, Chairman of the ESG Promotion Committee and Vice CEO of GS Retail, and Hyeongjun Park, President of the Korea Enterprise Certification Institute, are holding certificates for environmental management and quality management systems and taking a commemorative photo. (Photo by GS Retail).

GS Retail, First in Distribution Industry to Obtain Environmental and Quality Management System Certifications Simultaneously
"Using Certification as a Stepping Stone to Select Six Eco-Friendly Business Areas and Develop Them as Core Businesses"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] GS Retail announced on the 23rd that it has become the first company in the distribution industry to simultaneously acquire 'ISO14001 (Environmental Management System)' and 'ISO9001 (Quality Management System)' certifications from the Korea Enterprise Certification Institute.

The Environmental and Quality Management Systems are international standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). These systems evaluate a company’s environmental management framework and quality assurance system throughout the entire process of product production and supply based on international standards. Many companies are pursuing environmental and quality management system certifications to strengthen their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management capabilities.

GS Retail plans to lead ESG capabilities by leveraging the momentum gained from quickly obtaining the environmental and quality management system certifications. GS Retail has selected six eco-friendly business areas?▲Green Product ▲Green Store ▲Green Partnership ▲Green Marketing ▲Green Delivery ▲Green New Business?and intends to focus on nurturing them as core business pillars.

This year, GS Retail launched the first label-free private brand (PB) bottled water in convenience stores and expanded the introduction of eco-friendly biodegradable straws. Following ice cups, lunch boxes, and coffee cups, the company is switching frequently used product containers to eco-friendly or easily recyclable materials, thereby expanding its 'Green Product' initiatives.

The self-developed 'Remote Store Management System (SEMS)' has been installed in over 10,000 GS25 stores, achieving energy savings exceeding 12 billion KRW. GS Retail plans to fully expand the 'Remote Store Management System' and the 'Microbial Decomposition Food Waste Processor' to offline platforms such as GS25 by 2022.

Meanwhile, on the 21st, a certification award ceremony for the Environmental and Quality Management Systems was held on the 20th floor of GS Tower in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul. The ceremony was attended by Hyunsoo Heo, Chairman of GS Retail’s ESG Promotion Committee (Vice Chairman and CEO), and Hyungjun Park, President of the Korea Enterprise Certification Institute.

Chungmook Choi, Head of ESG at GS Retail, stated, "We will focus on nurturing all GS Retail employees and over 15,000 store owners nationwide as ESG ambassadors to encourage responsible consumption among the public and to serve as guardians protecting the local environment."