Gwangju Chamber of Commerce Holds '1st ESG Awareness Enhancement Seminar'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on the 16th that it held the ‘1st ESG Awareness Enhancement Briefing’ in the main conference room of the chamber building.

The briefing was promoted as part of the ‘Corporate ESG Management Activation Support Project,’ which is being implemented in cooperation with Gwangju City to closely support raising awareness of ESG management within the region and the introduction of ESG management by local companies.

At the briefing on the theme of ‘ESG Risks and Response Strategies,’ Kim Hye-sung and Choi Kyu-won, lawyers from Kim & Chang Law Office, stated, “Recently, ESG management information disclosure and human rights management audits have been legislated both domestically and internationally. Companies that fail to comply may face increased strategic lawsuits, sales declines, and investment withdrawals, thereby maximizing ESG risks.” They emphasized, “It is urgent to establish a dedicated organization within companies to identify ESG risks and set priorities in order to build an ESG response system.”

They added, “More than 1,700 strategic ESG lawsuits have been conducted worldwide, and in Korea as well, with improvements in corporate disclosure systems, issues related to fair trade laws concerning supply chains, the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and the Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act, it is an urgent situation to identify potential ESG risks and devise countermeasures.”

Choi Jong-man, the full-time vice chairman of Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “Although ESG management is rapidly spreading worldwide, local companies face difficulties in adopting ESG management and managing risks due to a lack of ESG specialists and information.” He added, “Through this briefing, we aim to create a platform for sharing ESG information and, in connection with future support projects, we will spare no effort and provide wholehearted support to enable local companies to promptly respond to the introduction of ESG management and resolve difficulties.”

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry plans to provide practical solutions to local companies struggling to adopt ESG management by promoting support projects tailored to corporate needs, such as diagnosing the current status of ESG management and customized ESG management support consulting.