"Dedicated Support Tracks Needed for SMEs Under Carbon Neutrality Policies"

First Session of the 2026 Environment·ESG Committee
"Tailored Support Needed by Industry and Company Size"

The Korea Federation of SMEs announced on June 11 that it held the first session of the 2026 Environment·ESG Committee at its headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

The Environment·ESG Committee is an organization established to promote the adoption of ESG management practices among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to strengthen their ability to respond to environmental regulations. The committee consists of representatives from industry-specific cooperatives, related organizations, and experts in relevant fields, who participate as members to discuss policy agendas and current issues.

At the meeting, Hyeju Kim, Director at QuantifiedESG, delivered a presentation on "ESG Trends and Response Strategies for SMEs," while Kisook Cho, Head of Green Investment Support at the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, gave a presentation titled "Understanding Green Finance and the Green Taxonomy, and Support Measures for SMEs."

During the subsequent roundtable, participants shared the difficulties SMEs face in the field, such as the burden of calculating and managing carbon emissions, and discussed potential solutions.

Attendees agreed that, given the rapid pace at which the government is promoting carbon neutrality policies, SMEs do not have sufficient conditions to respond. They emphasized the need for tailored support that takes into account the characteristics of each industry and company size, such as establishing separate support tracks.

Chairman Lee Sanghun stated, "With the mandatory disclosure of ESG information and expanding supply chain due diligence requirements, the business environment is changing rapidly. Only SMEs that adapt to these trends will ultimately survive the competition. Along with substantial government support, SMEs themselves must remain vigilant and continue to strengthen their ESG response capabilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.