LG Chem creates social value with its Green Connector vision
LG Chem employees assist students in making endangered species-themed lamps as part of the company's educational program. Courtesy of LG Chem
LG Chem is focusing its social initiatives on building a healthier society as part of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) management. Since unveiling its Green Connector vision in August 2020, the company has concentrated its efforts on making tangible environmental and social impacts, prioritizing four key areas: education, ecosystems, economy and energy.
The company’s flagship social project in education is Like Green, which is dedicated to ensuring a more sustainable planet.
As part of the initiative, it runs a YouTube channel designed to help the public understand key environmental, science and social issues, inviting experts from various fields — including United Nations Global Compact Korea Chief Lee Eun-kyung and actor Nam Bo-ra — for in-depth conversations.
The topics range from electric vehicles and ESG trends to issues like infertility. With over 1 million cumulative views on the channel, it has established itself as a crucial platform to help people understand ESG concepts and motivate them to put those ideas into action.
The initiative also includes the Green Class program, in which the company provides self-developed ESG education materials to schools nationwide for free to help more young people become ESG leaders.
In 2024, the curriculum expanded to include career development, supporting students in shaping their own futures and preparing them to take on leadership roles in society.
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The company’s employees also volunteer their expertise to deliver content and interact with students. Last year, volunteers visited 19 locations including community centers and elementary schools, providing career and environmental education for more than 700 students. The company plans to continue and expand the program, offering mechanical and chemical recycling education and career counseling to children.
Like Green has been recognized as an exemplary educational contribution program, receiving an award from the Ministry of Education in 2021.
Recognizing the environmental impact of its operations, LG Chem launched Korea’s first private-sector seagrass habitat restoration and research project in 2023 to give back to the ocean, as many of its factories use its water.
Seagrass is a flowering marine plant that is officially recognized as blue carbon by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured and stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, which absorb up to 50 times faster and last more than five times longer than land-based vegetation.
After transplanting 50,000 seagrass plants in 2023, the company planted an additional 20,000 the following year. By 2026, LG Chem plans to expand the seagrass beds to 10 hectares, about the size of 14 soccer fields. This restoration is expected to absorb around 5,000 tons of carbon annually, equivalent to the yearly emissions of about 2,800 cars.
In the first year, about 98 species of large marine animals were found living in the newly planted seagrass areas, and an additional 32 species were found in the expanded regions the following year, showing a growing biodiversity.
To build global awareness, LG Chem launched a metaverse world map, Blue Forest, in June 2023. This platform enables people around the world to create their own ocean forests and engage with diverse marine life like seagrass and coral while interacting with other users, allowing them to naturally learn about marine ecosystem restoration and carbon reduction in an engaging way. (Advertorial)