On December 7, KT&G (CEO Baek Bok-in) received the Prime Minister’s commendation in the general ESG (environmental, social, and governance) sector at the ceremony of the 2022 Sustainable Management Government Award at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Government Award for Sustainable Management is the only government award in the sustainable management sector given by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It is awarded to institutions or organizations which have contributed to the expansion and leadership of sustainable management, thereby enhancing industrial competitiveness, creating social values and generating achievements.

KT&G was recognized for its efforts to establish and execute a mid- to long-term vision of environmental management which extends throughout the value chain; received the Equal Salary Certification from the European Commission for the first time for a listed company in South Korea; and evaluated and supported the ESG of partner companies to build partnership. Its proactive environmental management efforts were highly rated, such as joining the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Task Force on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and also engaging in activities related to the task forces.

Moreover, KT&G is recognized by institutions in South Korea and other countries for the excellence in sustainable management. For 12 consecutive years from 2011, KT&G obtained Grade A (excellent) or higher in the ESG evaluation by the Korea Institute of Corporate Governance and Sustainability. In particular, KT&G was recognized for transparency and autonomy in governance and was awarded the Grand Prize in the governance structure evaluation in 2019. MSCI, the international provider of investment information, evaluated KT&G at AA, the highest grade in the industry, for two consecutive years, and classified it into the ESG leader group.

"We are actively promoting the ESG management at the group level to enhance long-term corporate value," said Kim Jin-han, the Director of KT&G's Strategic Planning. “We will continue to strive for mutual growth with our shareholders and other stakeholders through various sustainability management activities,”  he added.

(Photo description) KT&G received the Government Award for Sustainable Management in the general ESG sector from the Prime Minister at the award ceremony at KCCI. Kim Jin-han, the Director of Strategic Planning (center), is taking a photo after receiving the award.