Recently, ESG management has become a global trend, receiving increasing attention from stakeholders such as consumers, investors, and governments, as regulations related to ESG disclosure and supply chain due diligence have been strengthened since th...
Recently, ESG management has become a global trend, receiving increasing attention from stakeholders such as consumers, investors, and governments, as regulations related to ESG disclosure and supply chain due diligence have been strengthened since the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UN PRI) was announced in 2006. ESG is an acronym for the environment (E), social (S), and governance (G) and is accepted as a key factor for the continuous survival and growth of a company. As a result, there are over 600 ESG management evaluation indicators operated domestically and internationally, and numerous global initiatives have emerged. Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also announced “K-ESG Guidelines (December 2011)” and “K-ESG Guidelines for Supply Chain Response (December 22)” to help SMEs introduce ESG management and respond to supply chain due diligence. However, small-scale manufacturing companies with poor financial, human resources, and technological capabilities face significant challenges in introducing ESG management. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the current status of ESG management adoption in small-scale manufacturing companies with less than 150 people in Korea and propose activation plan ESG management based on the diagnostic requirements of the “Supply Chain Response K-ESG Guidelines.”