Managing Business for a Sustainable Earth
SK networks has tweaked its business portfolio oriented towards reducing its impact on climate change with the board of directors decisions to transfer its LPG business (2017), petroleum product wholesale business (2017) and petroleum product retail business (March 2020), and withdrawal from the Australian coal business (2019). In March 2021, the ESG Management Committee composed of the CEO and five outside directors was newly launched so as to actively respond to environment-related issues including climate change, and all board of directors members have been participating in the ESG Management Committee since May 2022.
Preliminary deliberation of major decisions by reviewing and analzing strategies and matters related to environmental and social values and governance
Working-level organization for Net Zero 2040, which participates in global environment-related initiatives and measures and analyzes environmental data
Strengthening the execution of ESG strategies, aligning business model strategies with ESG directions, and internalizing ESG management through the inspection and discussion of ESG management activities
Sharing the key SV promotion tasks and the progress of each business, discussing SV/ESG trends and response methods
Promoting Net Zero 2040 (determing reduction methods), measureing and analyzing environmental data, internalizing the environmental system for each business, and securing expertise
In recognition of sustainability issues including climate change as important decision-making matters, SK networks established the ESG Management Committee in March 2021 to facilitate decision-making over an integrated perspective. Later on, a process was set up so that matters reviewed in advance by the ESG Management Committee were subject to the final decision of the board of directors.
<History of discussions on climate change>
The ESG Management Committee discussed and deliberated issues related to climate change twice in 2021 and three times in 2022 (as of August).
Year | Round | Date | Agenda Items | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 1 | June 18 | Workshop on SK networks’ past, present and value-up directions | Net Zero 2040 promotion (agenda) |
3 | July 29 | In-kind contribution to MINTIT Biz | Expansion of environmental value creation by building a circular economy. | |
2022 | 2 | March 08 | Approval of the 2022 management plan | Enhancement of Net Zero 2040 execution, participation in SBTi, etc. |
3 | April 28 | Development of 2022 CEO KPI | Reflection of greenhouse gas emissions and key ESG indicators | |
4 | August 19 | Approval of investment in the EV charging business | Contribution to greenhouse gas reduction by expanding EV charging infrastructure |
SK networks offers various opportunities including workshops to help the ESG Management Committee’s outside directors make decisions based on climate change and sustainability and to enhance their ESG expertise. In 2021, SK networks hosted the Biz. Comm. Day to deliver lectures (May 2021) about ESG finance, carbon neutrality and TCFD recommendations on climate-related financial disclosures, to officials and shared SK networks environment consulting results (September 2021). In addition, the first ESG Management Committee meeting was held in June 2021 to report ESG-related BM Value Up directions and Net Zero 2040 targets. In the ESG Management Committee workshop held in July 2022, reports were made regarding the first-half performance of SK networks including carbon reduction and ESG-related index achievements. The workshop also involved discussions of trends and regulations related to climate change issues both at home and abroad as well as the current state, future direction and action plans of SK networks’ environment management. Through these arrangements, SK networks is actively providing support to increase the sensitivity of the board of directors members to climate change and environmental issues so that they can be reflected in their decision-making.
Since August 2021, SK networks has been running the company-wide ESG Promotion Committee attended by key executives including the CEO. In addition to the commission’s eight members, representatives and business unit heads of SK networks subsidiaries also participate in the committee’s meetings to discuss issues and trends related to climate change, follow up on risks and opportunities and response measures.
<History of discussions on climate change>
The Company-wide ESG Promotion Committee discussed issues related to climate change and environmental issues twice in 2021 and eight times in 2022.
Year | Round | Month | Description |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 1 | Aug |
· Joining global initiatives (introduction of and discussion about joining SBTi, ZWTL, EV100 and WWF PACT) · Introduction of and response measures to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. |
2 | Sep |
· ESG Performance Report for Q2 2021 · Sharing of SK networks environment consulting results |
|
2022 | 1 | Jan | · Plans to join SBTi |
2 | Feb |
· Major ESG developments - 10 ESG trends in 2022 by MSCI, Blackrock’s Annual Letter, introduction of the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality · Defining ESG KPIs per organization (reduction of carbon emissions) |
|
3 | Mar | · ESG Trends - Draft of the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, EU’s accelerated efforts to secure renewable energy, new government’s carbon neutrality policy directions | |
4 | Apr | · ESG Trends - Mandatory SEC climate disclosure, draft of IFRS-ISSB sustainability disclosure standards, amendment of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) | |
5 | May |
· ESG enhancement support program for partner companies · ESG Trends - Policy proposal for KSSB sustainability disclosure standards, alternative food which is receiving attention as the food of the future |
|
6 | Jun | · Progress of Walkerhill’s ESG strategic tasks (measures to reduce waste and increase recycling rate) | |
7 | Jul |
· ESG Signpost - Group’s key indicators, carbon emission reduction, transition to EV · Status of participation in Korea’s TCFD Alliance |
|
8 | Aug |
· ESG Signpost - Group's key indicators, carbon emissions reduction, transition to EV · ESG Trends - Launching the Valuing Water Finances Initiative (VWFI), confederacy and alliance of global EV charging stations, Enforcement of the US IRA (Inflation Reduction Act), Alternative protein poses the best climate initiative investment opportunity |
|
9 | Sep |
· ESG Signpost - Group’s key indexes, carbon emissions reduction, EV transition · Group’s key ESG indexes in 2Q |
|
10 | Oct |
· ESG Signpost - Group’s key indexes, carbon emissions reduction, EV transition · Strategy to improve Group’s key ESG indexes |
|
11 | Nov |
· ESG Signpost - Group’s key indexes, carbon emissions reduction, EV transition · Major ESG developments - Samsung Electronics’ entry into RE100, launch of COP27 · Report on 2022 Group’s key ESG indexes published · [Expert Lecture] Changing World & Global Perspective |
In addition, the Social Value (SV) Division was created to establish company-wide climate response strategies, based on business model innovations as well as management system improvements that are in progress. Social Value Division analyzes and evaluates risks and opportunities related to climate change and reports directly to the management including CEO, on issues, establishing strategies and other tasks related to climate change.
The SV Implementation Office has been running the SV meet up since 2020 which is a company-wide consultative body dealing with ESG issues. The office also launched the CoE (Committee of Experts) in 2022, following the Net Zero 2040 declaration, which meets bimonthly together with the SV meet up to accelerate greenhouse gas reduction activities, enhance environmental management and train in-house environment experts. Environmental CoE shares business model improvement/innovation cases incorporating progress on Net Zero 2040 per business line,
major risks and opportunities associated with climate exchange, with CEO and supervisors/working-level contacts at each BU (including subsidiaries)
taking the helm and engaging third party experts to deliver lectures and thereby enhance environmental competence.
After the Net Zero 2040 declaration in June 2021, SK networks joined SBTi in September 2022 seeking to respond to climate change and resolve environmental issues.
SK networks, SK networks service, SK magic, SK magic service, SK rent-a-car, SK rent-a-car service, MINTIT, cartini
Base year: 2021
Annual reduction of 4.2% during 2022-2031, and annual reduction of 6.4% during 2032-2040.
SK networks joined SBTi in September 2022, and Near term targets and Net Zero targets have been submitted that are pending verification.
(tCO2eq) | 2023. 1Q | 2023. 2Q | 2023. 2Q Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scope 1 | 3,824 | 2,415 | 6,239 | |
Scope 2 | Region Based | 7,874 | 7,394 | 15,268 |
Market Based | 7,463 | 6,983 | 14,446 | |
Scope 1&2 | Region Based | 11,698 | 9,809 | 21,507 |
Market Based | 11,286 | 9,398 | 20,684 |
※ Greenhouse gas emissions
In 2023, SK Networks plans to reduce approximately 691 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by converting business vehicles to EVs, replacing
aging facilities, and optimizing energy use. Another reduction of approximately 2,742 tons of GHG emissions is also targeted through RE100
measures. A total of 1,610 tons of GHG emissions were reduced in the first half, and key measures included the conversion to EVs (31 tons) and RE
100 initiatives (1,579 tons: 735 tons from self-generated power, 22 tons from REC consumption, and 23 tons from green premium). As a result, GHG
emissions reduction was recorded at 45.8% (region-based: 47.6%) of the market-based emissions compared to the 2023 target emissions.
To achieve Net Zero 2040, GHG emissions are measured monthly, and reduction measures are inspected to enhance execution. The Corporate ESG
Promotion Committee and Environment CoE & SV Meet-up are in place to share the achievements with the management.
With the goal of a 100% transition to renewable energy by 2040, SK networks has established a mid to long-term roadmap based on REC purchases, third-party PPAs, and solar energy use.
(MWh) | 2022. 1Q | 2022. 2Q | 2022. 3Q | 2022. 4Q |
---|---|---|---|---|
In-house generation (solar power) |
64 | 86 | 86 | 338 |
Green premium | 1,845 | 1,845 | 1,942 | 1,942 |
Total consumption | 1,909 | 1,931 | 2,028 | 2,280 |
※ Ratio of renewable energy in 2022: 11% (calculation standards of RE100: amount of renewable energy used/total electric power consumption)
'21 |
'22
|
'23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | '27 | '28 | '29 | '30 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2.2% | 5.0% | 9.6% | 16.3% | 24.9% | 36.8% | 53.0% | 70.3% | 84.9% | 100% |
※ Base : K-EV100
SK networks members* are raising their awareness of the importance of the environment though mySUNI, a SK Group’s training platform, where various subjects are covered including ESG, carbon neutrality, resource circulation and hydrogen energy. These sessions are further connected to in-depth learning about eco-friendly business models.
As of 2021, each member completed 9.2 hours of environmental training
All employees completed 9.2 hours of eco-friendly training per person in 2021 and 5.8 hours per person in 2022.
* includes contract workers and excludes Walkerhill members