Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry Begins Full Support for Local Companies' ESG Management Adoption

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced on the 15th that it will actively promote the ‘ESG Management Activation Support Project’ together with Gwangju City.

As corporate social responsibility is being strengthened worldwide, the introduction of ESG management is positively influencing corporate value evaluation by enhancing companies' production, financial, investment activities, and reliability, making ESG management an essential requirement for corporate survival.

In particular, as ESG-related disclosures have been institutionalized in South Korea, from this year, companies listed on the KOSPI with assets exceeding 1 trillion won are required to disclose corporate governance reports, and this obligation is expected to be gradually expanded until 2026, making urgent response necessary.

Accordingly, the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry has planned the ‘ESG Management Activation Support Project’ and will promote projects such as ESG briefings, online and offline education, ESG management status diagnosis, ESG management support consulting, and operation of the ESG Management Support Committee.

First, regarding ESG education, not only offline but also online educational content available for continuous learning will be provided. Additionally, survey data, booklets, newsletters, and other materials will be distributed via mailing services to eliminate information gaps and raise awareness of ESG management among local company executives and employees.

Furthermore, for ESG management diagnosis and consulting, companies wishing to introduce ESG can participate without additional costs. Priority support will be given to companies required to disclose ESG management, providing practical solutions to those struggling due to a lack of ESG experts and information.

Moreover, the ESG Management Support Committee, composed of experts from the economic sector, local governments, academia, finance, and legal fields, will monitor the ESG management status of local companies and prepare responses and solutions to major domestic and international ESG-related issues.

So far, the Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry has held forums and seminars on ESG management, conducted awareness and opinion surveys on the Serious Accident Punishment Act and ESG management among local companies, and listened to suggestions, continuously promoting activities to improve ESG management awareness and understand response status within the region.

Choi Jong-man, the full-time vice chairman, emphasized, “As ESG management is rapidly spreading worldwide, support for the introduction and response to ESG management by local companies is urgently needed,” adding, “Through this ESG Management Activation Support Project, we will actively work to introduce ESG management tailored to the needs of local companies and resolve their difficulties.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.