![]() |
Woori Financial Group Chairman and CEO Son Tae-seung / Courtesy of Woori Financial Group |
By Yi Whan-woo
Woori Financial Group Chairman and CEO Son Tae-seung will visit Europe next month to discuss the group's efforts in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices on the global stage, according to the banking group, Monday.
It said Son's planned trip comes upon the joint invitation of two U.N. bodies _ the U.N. Framework Convention (UNFCC) and UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) _ plus that of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), an observer to the U.N. General Assembly.
The chairman is scheduled to meet UNFCC Acting Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, who also doubles as the executive secretary of the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), UNEP FI head Eric Usher and IUCN Deputy Director General Lee Sung-ah.
"The chairman's trip means global entities are paying attention to our activities and achievements concerning ESG," the company said. "We're expected to be invited to join global initiatives on ESG on the occasion of the chairman's visit to Europe next month."
Son also plans to meet top-ranking financial officials of global investment firms to attract more capital from overseas investors.
The banking group has been stepping up its efforts in ESG management, with its latest activities including the signing of an agreement to respond to the climate crisis and sustainable forest management with the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) in June.
The signing ceremony was attended by Sohn Tae-seung, chairman of Woori Financial Group and Ricardo L. Calderon, secretary general of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO).