Samsung Biologics recognized for response to climate change

Samsung Biologics’ Plant 4 in Songdo, Incheon / Courtesy of Samsung Biologics

Samsung Biologics has been recognized for its excellent climate change response capabilities by a global sustainability management evaluation organization, after it carried out efforts toward sustainable management, thereby putting it on a par with other global pharmaceutical companies, the company said Tuesday.

The company said that it received a Leadership A- score from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a non-profit international organization in 2023. This score is the first among domestic biopharmaceutical companies, and it's an improvement from last year's B grade, Samsung Biologics said.

Established in the U.K. in 2000, the CDP conducts projects requesting disclosure of environmental issue response-related information from major listed companies worldwide. In 2023, over 23,000 companies participated.

Samsung Biologics participated in the CDP’s project for the first time among domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies in 2021, receiving the Management rating, the second-highest grade, in the first year of being evaluated. After maintaining the same grade in 2022, it was upgraded to Leadership A- in the 2023 evaluation.

The company was recognized for its efforts to continuously enhance greenhouse gas reduction through energy savings and renewable energy conversion at business sites, aiming for net zero by 2050, participating in global initiatives such as RE100, the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) and UN Global Compact (UNGC), and supporting and managing carbon neutrality in the supply chain.

“The Leadership A- score is the same grade as AstraZeneca, GSK, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi, and Samsung Biologics has been recognized for its excellent climate change response capabilities, standing shoulder to shoulder with global big pharmaceutical companies," the company said.

Samsung Biologics keeps conducting activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as possessing solar power generation facilities, high-efficiency boiler replacements and the construction of a factory energy monitoring system.

The company added that it is enhancing supply chain response policies, such as conducting ESG agreements with suppliers and establishing sustainable product purchase policies. It also plans to further expand support activities and strengthen the ESG evaluation of the supply chain.

"We will continue to innovate and strengthen our climate change leadership, including expanding our transition to renewable energy," John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, said. "We will continue our efforts in sustainability management so that we can be trusted by various stakeholders and contribute to a better future for humanity."