DL Chemical Publishes Sustainability Report Highlighting ESG Management Achievements

DL Chemical announced on the 11th that it has published the "2023 Sustainability Management Report," which contains the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management activity achievements from last year, its second year since establishment.

Although DL Chemical is an unlisted company and not obligated to publish such reports, it has released the sustainability management report based on its sincerity and firm commitment to ESG management. Following the transition of the former Daelim Industrial to a holding company system on January 1, 2021, DL Chemical became an independent separate corporation alongside affiliates such as DL E&C and DL Energy, and last year disclosed the sustainability management report reflecting the achievements of its inaugural year.

This year’s sustainability management report was prepared in compliance with globally recognized guidelines, including the international sustainability reporting standard “GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) Standards 2021.” Additionally, a double materiality assessment was conducted, analyzing both the impact of management activities on the environment and society and the influence of external environmental factors on corporate finances, further demonstrating the commitment to sustainable management.

According to the report, DL Chemical achieved significant results last year in the mechanical recycling sector, one of its key eco-friendly business areas. DL Chemical obtained the GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification, recognizing the outstanding environmental friendliness of its recycled products. The GRS certification is an eco-friendly certification that verifies not only the recycled content of finished products but also compliance with social, environmental, and chemical standards. To obtain GRS certification, recycled materials must constitute at least 20%, and to use the GRS certification logo, recycled materials must exceed 50%. DL Chemical acquired the GRS logo certification through products containing up to 80% recycled materials.

Furthermore, DL Chemical conducted an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) to track the carbon emission history throughout the entire life cycle of its polybutene (hereafter PB) product line, establishing a baseline for the environmental impact of its products. This LCA was carried out to secure the sustainable competitiveness of DL Chemical’s world-leading polybutene product and enables proactive responses to stringent global market regulations and customer demands. DL Chemical plans to expand the application of LCA to additional product lines in the future.

Its internal systems have also advanced to meet global standards. Last year, DL Chemical obtained the ISO 37301 certification for compliance management systems from the Korea Compliance Institute. ISO 37301 is an international standard certification established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in April last year. It evaluates whether compliance policies and risk response systems across company management meet global standards and operate effectively. DL Chemical has already acquired and maintained international standard certifications such as ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), and the addition of the international standard certification for compliance management last year further demonstrates DL Chemical’s capabilities for global-level ESG management.

Kim Jong-hyun, Vice Chairman of DL Chemical, stated, "The fastest way to guarantee the company’s sustainability is to strengthen ESG management," adding, "Based on the achievements of last year, DL Chemical will accelerate ESG management befitting a global company."