image: At the recent Southeast ESG Forum, the International ESG Association, under the leadership of Prof. Yong Sik Ok and Prof. Jay Hyuk Rhee disclosed the status of biodiversity conservation initiatives undertaken by top 200 companies by market capitalization in Korea. The forum also included other sessions with prominent experts from the ESG and sustainability fields including the 6th Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); In Kyoo Baek, Chairman of Deloitte Korea Board and ESG Center leader; Jae Heum Park, EY Hanyoung Audit Department Partner, ESG Impact Hub Leader, and Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader; and Yun-Nam Cho, CEO of the Daeshin Economic Research Institute, among others.
Credit: Professor Yong Sik Ok from the International ESG Association
The recently co-organized 2023 Southeast ESG Forum provided a stage for a multitude of crucial dialogues and momentous events revolving around ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and sustainability issues. The commencement session of this year’s Southeast ESG Forum was opened by Prof. Jay Hyuk Rhee, President of the IESGA and Professor of Business Administration at Korea University. This was followed by an enriching keynote address by the 6th Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Thereafter, Prof. Yong Sik Ok, President of the IESGA, HCR Professor, and Director at Korea University, along with Prof. Jay Hyuk Rhee, skillfully led a business roundtable discussion, which focused on crucial topics pertaining to biodiversity conservation and nature-positive initiatives. The roundtable discussion also included esteemed speakers, such as Chairman of Deloitte Korea Board and ESG Center leader and EY Hanyoung Audit Department Partner, ESG Impact Hub Leader, and Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader.
The afternoon session was centered around the topics of climate change and biodiversity and was attended by a large number of participants. The session included presentations featuring Dr. Yoora Cho, Director of the IESGA, who discussed "Evaluation of Biodiversity Conservation Activities of Top 200 Korean Corporations"; Prof. Sung Yeon Hwang, Director of the Korea Bioplastic Association and IESGA, who spoke about "Realizing a Plastic Circular Economy Structure for ESG Management"; and Yun-Nam Cho, CEO of the Daeshin Economic Research Institute, who elucidated "The Role and Mission of Sustainable Finance."
Notably, the presentation by Dr. Yoora Cho marked the proud unveiling of the status of biodiversity conservation initiatives undertaken by the top 200 companies by market capitalization in Korea. She presented research findings of a study that analyzed the biodiversity conservation activities of these corporations, based on their sustainability reports from the past five years. Furthermore, she shed light on the level of awareness and responses towards biodiversity and nature positivity by corporations like Amorepacific, Hyundai E&C, LG Household & Health Care, POSCO International. She also suggested concrete alternatives for future improvements in this field. The launch of this status report was done under the leadership and guidance of the Presidents of the IESGA — Prof. Yong Sik Ok and Prof. Jay Hyuk Rhee. Through these invaluable research insights, the IESGA aims to drive more initiatives for sustainable management.
In June this year, the IESGA also engaged with Singapore's Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, prominent professors from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, and distinguished faculty members from Harvard Business School to discuss the results of the biodiversity evaluations done for Korean corporations.
Moreover, the IESGA announced its plans to host the “6th Global Conference on ESG Management and Sustainability” at Korea University in November this year. The conference aims to delve deeper into the conversations and actions surrounding biodiversity and nature positivity issues. The conference is expected to bring together more than 300 experts hailing from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, China, and Japan, among other countries, and will also include eminent dignitaries such as IUCN Director-General and Prof. William Mitch from the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University.