HK inno.N secures top rating in Sustinvest ESG assessment

HK inno.N announced Wednesday that it received the highest rating (AA) in the “2025 Second Half ESG Evaluation Results” by Sustinvest, marking its fourth consecutive top rating.

Furthermore, HK inno.N was selected as the top company among firms with assets between 500 billion won ($341 million) and 2 trillion won. Sustinvest published this ranking in the “2025 Second Half ESG Best Companies 100” list, which highlights the top 100 listed firms excelling across all ESG domains.

HK inno.N Square located in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province (Courtesy of HK inno.N)

Sustinvest is one of Korea's major ESG rating agencies, and its evaluation results serve as a key decision-making criterion for investors. It evaluates non-financial factors across environmental, social, and governance domains and classifies companies into 7 tiers (AA-E).

This evaluation covered 1,299 listed Korean companies. HK inno.N received excellent ratings across all ESG domains. It secured an overall AA grade and ranked first among 100 companies in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and bio sector.

In the environmental category, HK inno.N accelerated its carbon-neutrality roadmap and expanded disclosure for greater execution and transparency. It reduced greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The disclosure targets, based on TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure) and TNFD (Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosure) standards, now extend from nearby facilities to suppliers. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) were conducted for key products. The findings will inform future development of the environmental strategy.

In the social sector, HK inno.N enhanced its supply chain management system to strengthen proactive risk management. The company conducted due diligence on sustainability issues for critical supply chains. It also provided ESG training for suppliers to systematize support programs and share relevant issues.

Furthermore, the scope of human rights impact assessments was extended to include suppliers, significantly elevating human rights risk management across the entire supply chain.

In governance, ESG performance was directly linked to management KPIs (key performance indicators). This strengthened the responsible management system. HK inno.N regularly monitors progress by including key ESG indicators, such as the implementation of the carbon neutrality roadmap, in executive evaluations. It also assesses the activities of board members and outside directors each year. Results are disclosed alongside the Board Skills Matrix (BSM) to enhance board expertise. In June, the company published its fourth Sustainability Management Report, which aligns with global disclosure standards and transparently reports ESG performance.

"HK inno.N leads ESG management in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry," CEO Kwak Dal-won said. "We are expanding ESG practices across environmental, social, and governance areas, including our supply chain. This will strengthen our ESG capabilities and foster a win-win model for the entire supply chain."

HK inno.N also received the Minister of Health and Welfare Award at the Community Contribution Recognition Day event on Tuesday.