KOTRA Holds Sustainable Management Committee Meeting... Announces ESG Management Promotion Plan

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] On the 21st, KOTRA held a Sustainable Management Committee meeting and announced its ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) management promotion plan both internally and externally. This is to proactively respond to global key value changes through eco-friendliness, social value, and transparent management, and to support ESG management of our export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies.

KOTRA presented three major directions for promoting ESG management: ▲Implementing sustainable management through company-wide ESG execution ▲Supporting our companies' response to global ESG issues ▲Establishing an integrated system for promoting ESG management. External advisory committee members composed of industry, academia, and civic groups attended online, engaging in in-depth discussions on the ESG management direction that KOTRA should pursue.

First, as part of practicing ESG management, KOTRA will take active eco-friendly management steps by discontinuing the use of disposable cups within the company. This is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by approximately 4.16 tons, water usage by 7,571 tons, and have the same effect as planting 1,514 trees. Additionally, by the end of the year, KOTRA plans to acquire the eco-friendly international standard certification (ISO 14001) and join 'K-RE100,' setting a goal to cover 100% of the electricity used by the institution with renewable energy sources by 2050.

KOTRA held the Sustainable Management Committee meeting and announced KOTRA's ESG management. KOTRA employees pledged to practice '1 Day 1 Green' eco-friendly actions and hung pledge cards on the promise tree. Photo by KOTRA

KOTRA is also promoting various campaigns that allow all employees to participate in practicing ESG management. On the 15th, through the '1 Day 1 Green, All Employees Eco-Friendly Practice Pledge Campaign,' employees signed pledge cards themselves, committing to eco-friendly practices. A campaign encouraging employees to voluntarily join the national eco-friendly system, the Carbon Point Program, to promote eco-friendly practices at home is also underway, with about 150 executives and staff currently enrolled. Targeting MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) employees, KOTRA operates the 'Metaverse KOTRA ESG Practice Center,' where they can virtually experience ESG practices in the metaverse.

Yoo Jung-yeol, President of KOTRA, stated, "As global interest and demand for sustainability increase, ESG management has become a necessity rather than a choice. KOTRA will strive to align its own ESG management with the public’s expectations and global standards, as well as provide systematic support to enhance the ESG management capabilities of our companies."