Samil PwC Holds ESG Response Seminar for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Sustainability Platform Partners in Attendance
"Companies Must Build Capabilities for Disclosure and Supply Chain Due Diligence"

Samil PwC announced on the 17th that it held an online seminar (webinar) titled "Practical Guide for Small and Medium Enterprises Preparing for ESG" at its headquarters' Sejong Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 14th.

Partners from the Samil PwC Sustainability Platform participated in the webinar and presented key issues and practical solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises, including ESG disclosure preparation, sustainability report writing, climate disclosure and greenhouse gas management, and ESG supply chain strategy. More than 600 company representatives attended the webinar.

At the 'Practical Guide for Small and Medium Enterprises Preparing for ESG' webinar held on the 14th at Samil PwC headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, partners are answering pre-submitted questions from clients. From the left in the photo are Youngchang Yoon, PwC Consulting Partner; Kyungsang Park, Samil PwC Partner; Woojin Jung, Partner; and Hannae Kim, Partner. Samil PwC

Miyeop Kwon, Partner at the Samil PwC Sustainability Platform, stated in her opening remarks, "Recently, conflicting domestic and international policy signals around ESG have deepened concerns on the ground," adding, "I hope this webinar will provide practical answers and hands-on know-how for SME practitioners on what and how to prepare, even with limited personnel and budgets."

In the first session, Han-nae Kim, Partner at Samil PwC, gave a presentation on "The First Step in Preparing for ESG Disclosure." Kim emphasized, "The Korean government is establishing ESG as a core management standard for businesses through mandatory ESG disclosure, the introduction of an integrated evaluation system, strengthened greenhouse gas regulations, and the creation of dedicated agencies," and added, "Among the various domestic and international ESG policies and regulations, ESG disclosure is at the center of all of them, making it the time for small and medium-sized enterprises to begin full-scale preparations."

Woojin Jung, Partner, provided a detailed explanation of the three-step process for preparing a sustainability management report: planning the report, collecting data and writing the report, and publishing the report. Introducing actual cases from Korean companies, Jung advised, "To improve report quality, it is important to ensure data reliability, strengthen storytelling by linking the company vision and ESG strategy, establish a continuous improvement system by analyzing best practices in the industry, and enhance work efficiency by maintaining consistency year over year."

As the third presenter, Kyungsang Park, Partner, introduced the financial risks arising from climate change, the demands of global companies and investors, the current status of domestic and international greenhouse gas regulations and disclosure, and corporate greenhouse gas management strategies. Park provided a detailed guide on the targets, concepts, and practical calculation methods necessary for SMEs to manage greenhouse gases, emphasizing, "The era when carbon becomes a cost will begin in earnest," and "Strengthening greenhouse gas management systems to secure corporate competitiveness is more important than ever."

In the final session, Youngchang Yoon, PwC Consulting Partner, gave a presentation on "ESG Supply Chain Management Strategies for Business Competitiveness." Yoon introduced global regulatory trends and actual cases of supply chain human rights violations, stating, "Managing ESG risks across the entire supply chain is now a necessity, not a choice." He continued, "While SMEs face difficulties in responding to ESG due to limited personnel and resources, they can secure practical competitiveness through systematic management and external expert support, such as developing evaluation models, contractual guarantees, and improving vulnerable areas," and proposed the use of AI- and digital-based solutions and ongoing advisory services.

In the final Q&A session, Samil PwC experts participated as panelists and answered pre-submitted questions from clients. Topics included ways to improve awareness of ESG work, the evolution of sustainability management reports, and trends in Scope 1, 2, and 3 disclosures.

Meanwhile, since holding its first ESG seminar in 2021, the Samil PwC Sustainability Platform has held annual seminars to quickly deliver domestic and international ESG regulations and trends, and has provided related guidelines and implementation strategies as ESG solutions to help companies respond proactively. The content of this online seminar can be viewed on the Samil PwC YouTube channel.