Over 200 companies from diverse industries joined executives from KPC, KOTRA, and EcoVadis for the first ESG Assessment Workshop in South Korea, gaining deeper insights into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA, CEO YU Jeoung Yeol), in collaboration with the Korea Productivity Center (KPC, Chairman AHN Wan Gi) and EcoVadis (Fred Trinel, Co-Ceo and Richard Bourne SVP, Asia Pacific Japan), held an EcoVadis Assessment Workshop at the KOTRA headquarters in Yeomgok-dong, Seoul on June 12th. The workshop, which was organized as part of the KOTRA-EcoVadis-KPC MOU signed on November 13th last year, was designed to enhance domestic companies’ understanding of the EcoVadis assessment and help them accelerate the adoption of sustainable business practices among SMEs and contribute to the broader objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On the EcoVadis side, Richard Bourne, SVP Asia Pacific Japan noted that “this event helped to exert clarity and guidance for companies of all sizes and ESG maturity. Engaging in sustainability helps companies to accelerate innovation and performance, as well as to prepare them for growing global ESG compliance such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This workshop underscores that sustainability is a crucial requirement for their own business operations and that there are tools and initiatives available to help them”.
Note that as part of the program, it was announced that South Korean companies are eligible for an Export Voucher that can be used to improve ESG performance, including EcoVadis related services. Companies can therefore claim reimbursement of fees related to EcoVadis subscription fees at the following https://www.exportvoucher.com/portal/sample/main .
EcoVadis is a leading provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence, and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. Many companies worldwide invite their trading partners to be rated by EcoVadis and leverage the insights to embed sustainability into their procurement or investment strategies. EcoVadis then helps companies to track and report the outcomes of this process, helping them fine-tune their approach and scale their efforts.
The workshop consisted of 1) a demonstration of the EcoVadis assessment model and tips in responding, 2) global supply chain assessment trends, 3) related KOTRA support programs, and 4) know-how sharing by platinum-rated (top 1%) companies.
On-site consultations were also held by EcoNine, GSC Global Standard Certification Institute, and AMS Management Consulting, the official training partners of EcoVadis.
In addition to the workshop, KOTRA and KPC are working with EcoVadis to improve the overall assessment environment by jointly upgrading Korean questions and producing an assessment guide that takes into account local regulations and circumstances to make it easier and more comfortable for domestic companies to take the EcoVadis assessment.
“This workshop was a great opportunity to resolve questions about the EcoVadis assessment,” said YU Jeoung Yeol, CEO of KOTRA. “KOTRA will continue to actively support exporting SMEs to secure their competitiveness in sustainability assessments, including EcoVadis.”
“With the EU's approval of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in April, ESG is once again in the spotlight,” said AHN Wan Gi, Chairman of KPC. “KPC, EcoVadis, and KOTRA are striving to ensure that Korean companies receive stable supply chain ESG assessments. We will take the lead in building an ESG ecosystem so that Korean consulting firms, educational institutions and other related organizations can provide more practical support.”
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