Kakao Successfully Concludes Third Session of "ESG Academy" Sustainable Management Program for Youth

A Special ESG Program for 30 Young Adults in Their 20s and 30s

On July 30, Kakao announced that it had successfully completed the third session of the "ESG Academy" for the youth in their 20s and 30s, which was held in collaboration with the Economic Justice Institute of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ), and hosted a project presentation event for the participants.

The ESG Academy is a program that introduces young people to the latest trends in ESG and cases of sustainable management, providing opportunities to experience firsthand how ESG is actually applied in corporate environments. Jointly planned by Kakao and the Economic Justice Institute of CCEJ, the program launched its first session in January 2024 and has now reached its third iteration this year.

This session of the course took place every Wednesday from July 1 to 29, consisting of five classes in total. Thirty participants in their 20s and 30s who were interested in ESG were selected through an application process, and the entire program was offered for free.

The curriculum included lectures by experts from both academia and industry, on-site visits, and hands-on projects. Key topics included: ▲The necessity of ESG and sustainable management ▲Kakao’s sustainable management lecture and company tour ▲ESG in the era of climate change and carbon neutrality ▲Digital management and ESG. In addition, ESG career training was held every week during the course.

In particular, during the on-site visit to Kakao's Pangyo Agit workspace on July 8, Kakao’s staff served as instructors. Taking into account participants' pre-submitted suggestions, Kakao added new lectures to this third session covering "Efforts for Safe AI" and "Kakao's Local Impact Strategy." Participants heard about Kakao’s sustainable management initiatives and had the opportunity to experience the company’s workspaces and organizational culture firsthand.

At the project presentation event held on July 29, participants proposed ESG business ideas based on their month-long studies. Various projects utilizing Kakao’s services such as KakaoMap were introduced. Among them, the top prize for Best Impact was awarded to the team that presented "Green Kanana," a project utilizing Kakao’s AI service Kanana to organically incorporate eco-friendly consumption and mobility into daily life.

Hong Shin, Performance Leader for ESG Partnerships at Kakao, said, "The ESG Academy is designed to help young people directly experience and deepen their understanding of how sustainable management is implemented in corporate settings," adding, "Kakao will continue to develop ESG education models that bring together companies and civil society, and actively support the growth of ESG capabilities among future generations."

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