Korea Federation of SMEs Holds '2025 First Environment·ESG Committee Meeting'

Despite Easing of ESG Regulations in the US and EU,
ESG Management Remains Crucial for SME Partners

The Korea Federation of SMEs announced on May 21 that it held the '2025 First Environment·ESG Committee Meeting.' The Environment·ESG Committee is a newly established organization aimed at enhancing SMEs' capacity to respond to environmental regulations and promoting the spread of ESG management by identifying policy issues and improving related systems.

The committee meeting was attended by 16 members, including Lee Sanghoon, Chairman of the Korea Mining Cooperative Federation and committee chairperson, So Jae-gyu, Chairman of the Korea Toy Industry Cooperative Federation, Kim Geumju, Chairman of the Korea Construction Resources Mutual Aid Association, and Park Sunghoon, Chairman of the Korea Refractory Industry Cooperative Federation.

At the meeting, Park Piljoo, Head of the ESG Infrastructure Support Division at the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, gave a presentation on 'Trends in Environment·ESG Regulations and Government Support Programs.' Discussions followed on the necessity of ESG management for SMEs in the wake of the relaxation of ESG regulations in the United States, as well as on future response strategies for SMEs.

In addition, the committee shared legislative tasks and industry proposals such as ▲enactment of the SME Carbon Neutrality Support Act ▲introduction of a cap on alternative waste charges ▲easing of criteria for determining unidentified hazardous substances. The committee also gathered a wide range of opinions from the field regarding environment·ESG-related support projects, including the 'Environmental·Safety Integrated Management System Construction Project' currently being promoted by the Korea Federation of SMEs in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.

Lee Sanghoon, Chairperson of the Environment·ESG Committee, emphasized, "It is true that some global ESG regulations are being eased, but major domestic conglomerates are still conducting ESG rating evaluations of their SME partners, so ESG management is no longer a choice but a necessity." He added, "It is urgent for the government to expand effective support to strengthen SMEs' ESG capabilities, and I hope that the environmental legislative tasks currently under discussion will be passed as soon as possible to ease the burden on SMEs."