Today, ESG management has become a highly popular movement across the globe. ESG management is the philosophy of pursuing sustainable development, ensuring the healthy growth of corporations, and guiding positive changes to our society. In recent times, global corporations have been developing eco-friendly products or promoting social value activities to conduct ESG management in various areas. As a global corporation, SPC Group is also leading in ESG management, with various operations in pursuit of mutually-beneficial coexistence with local communities and a management style focusing on healthy food and the environment.
ESG Management, the Foundation for a Better Future
ESG management that pursues sustainable development
As an acronym for Environment, Social and Governance, ESG is the barometer of whether a corporation is operating in a healthy and transparent way. ESG management is being named as an alternative measure that can solve numerous social issues, such as the climate change crisis, social inequality, and the wealth gap between the rich and poor and has particularly emerged as a global management issue as international investment firms have begun to demand sustainable development from corporations. Early last year, BlackRock, the world’s largest investment asset management company, announced its plans to withdraw investments from corporations that report over 25% of their profits to come from using fossil fuels, which are considered to be the main perpetrator of environmental destruction.
Changes in consumer trends have also played a catalytic role in the ESG management boom. Today’s consumers not only look for quality when purchasing goods and services, but also examine whether the product was manufactured through an ethical and eco-friendly process. In other words, they are pursuing value-based consumption, which considers the impact of one’s consumption on the environment and society. As such, corporations across the globe are now working to solve various environmental and social issues while seeking to implement a transparent management system that align with the changing awareness in the market and among consumers with regard to corporate management.
SPC Group, a Pioneer of Systematic ESG Management
SPC Group’s affiliate, BR Korea, taking a step forward in ESG management by launching an ESG Committee
SPC Group is preparing a system to practice continuous and consistent ESG management. Last September, SPC Group’s subsidiary BR Korea held the launch ceremony for its ‘ESG Committee’ to announce the earnest beginning of its ESG management system. Under the slogan, ‘Happy With Us, BR Korea,’ BR Korea outlined detailed tasks for ESG management in consideration of the characteristics of its franchise. The ESG Committee members, composed of over 40 key executives and employees, are planning to systematically implement 13 task areas, including eco-friendliness, social contribution, labor-management cooperation, and mutually-beneficial coexistence with franchise stores.
SPC Samlip also established the ‘ESG Committee’ under its board of directors last August. The ESG Committee establishes ESG management strategies and policies, monitors related implementation activities, and manages and supervises ESG-related tasks within the company. In order to ensure independent and rational decision-making, the committee is composed of 5 professional independent directors from various fields such as law, labor, fair trade and food safety. With the establishment of the ESG Committee, SPC Samlip is actively promoting medium- and long-term tasks such as reducing carbon and waste generation, developing products in consideration of consumers’ health and nutrition, and mutually-beneficial coexistence with local communities.
For Earth’s Green Future
Paris Baguette and Dunkin’ showcase eco-friendly containers designed for recycling and reuse
SPC Group has been implementing ESG management by developing eco-friendly products and instituting environmental protection measures. A key example of this is developing eco-friendly products by converting disposable products that are used by franchise stores out of necessity. First, Dunkin’ introduced the straw-free cup lid named ‘Dumbler (‘Dunkin’ + ‘Tumbler’)’ and the reusable aluminum can ‘Duncan’. Likewise, Paris Baguette released ‘Big Eau,’ offering an ice ball in a reusable eco-friendly cup made with a polycarbonate material for permanent use.
SPC Group’s packaging subsidiary SPC Pack is regarded as an eco-friendly pioneer in the industry, as it has taken early steps to develop packaging materials that minimize environmental impact and developed its own eco-friendly ink to obtain ‘Green Certification’ from the government as the first to do so in the food packaging industry. This year, SPC Pack built a cooperation system with numerous specialist materials companies in Korea to promote the joint development of eco-friendly packaging. Moreover, SPC Pack plans to cooperate with corporations with eco-friendly material technologies in order to apply eco-friendly materials to packaging materials and container products made of plastic.
Paris Croissant participating in an energy conservation campaign
Energy conservation can be described as the first step in protecting the environment, and SPC Group’s affiliate, Paris Croissant, participated in the ‘New Eco Social Contract’ that was promoted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy last June under the aim of achieving voluntary reductions in energy and greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, over 4,000 brand stores nationwide, including Paris Baguette and Pascucci, implemented the ‘optimal temperature campaign’ to reduce the excessive use of energy and carbon emissions. Furthermore, brand stores replaced existing lights with energy-saving LED lights and began to gradually introduce high-efficiency energy products.
SPC Group Warmly Embraces Society
SPC Group’s Happy Coexistence Project helps local farms
Mutually-beneficial coexistence with local communities is one of SPC Group’s longstanding management philosophies. Designed to encourage the consumption of domestic produce and help farmers to pioneer new markets, the ‘Happy Coexistence Project’ is SPC Group’s core activity for coexisting with communities. From strawberries from Nonsan in March to onions from Muan in June, ginseng from Punggi in September and sweet potatoes from Haenam in October, the company has entered into agreements with local farms to develop and launch new products using produce from each region. Furthermore, SPC Group donated a portion of the proceeds from Happy Coexistence products to local communities and also supported the disadvantaged who have been impacted by COVID-19, as well as local volunteers, in spreading the true meaning of mutually-beneficial coexistence across all areas of society. Moving forward, SPC Group plans to continue the Happy Coexistence Project, while providing consumers with tasty products made with quality ingredients and local farms with new market entry opportunities.
SPC Group sponsors holiday products for community welfare centers near its business sites in time for Chuseok
As part of its ESG management efforts, SPC Group also actively conducts social contribution activities social responsibility. The company conducted various sharing activities for the disadvantaged, who have been experiencing greater difficulties due to COVID-19. For this year’s traditional holiday of Chuseok, 6 affiliates of SPC Group, including SPC Happy Foundation, SPC Samlip, Paris Croissant, and BR Korea, sponsored 18 community welfare centers near their business sites with Chuseok holiday goods. In addition, we helped disadvantaged children in vulnerable living conditions with 20 million KRW in donations, which were gathered through the online social contribution program ‘Sweet Companion.’ The company worked with Habitat for Humanity Korea to improve living conditions and provide new furniture for children in vulnerable environments.
SPC Happy Fund reaches 2 billion KRW in funds for disabled children this year
SPC Group operates various corporate social responsibility programs to help persons with disabilities to lead happy lives. ‘SPC Happy Fund’ is a fund established to support rehabilitation therapy and assistance devices for disabled children in low-income families. The donation fund is raised by executives and staff members voluntarily donating a portion of their monthly salary, with the company matching the donation amounts. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the donations of SPC Happy Fund have reached 2 billion KRW in total and aided 1,200 disabled children and families to date. Moreover, SPC Group is helping persons with disabilities to build their capabilities and self-reliance through the baking training program for the disabled titled ‘SPC&SOUL Happy Bakery Class,’ and ‘Happy Bakery & Cafe,’ a program for hiring workers with disabilities.
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SPC Group’s social contributions!
As you can see, SPC Group is working to promote ESG management for the benefit of the environment and society, and seeking to demonstrate a sense of dignity befitting of a global corporation. SPC Group’s ultimate goal is to build a future where we can grow alongside all members of society within a green, healthy and happy society. To this end, SPC Group will continue to implement sustainable management and provide our customers with healthy food products in the future.
