GS Caltex cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 100,000 tons in a year; Heo Se-hong vows push toward centennial status

GS Caltex announced Tuesday that its 2025 sustainability report shows total greenhouse gas emissions fell by more than 100,000 tons last year compared with the previous year.

The company pursued carbon emission reduction and low-carbon projects under its vision of becoming a "Lower Carbon Refining & Chemical Complex." Through energy efficiency improvements and facility upgrades to strengthen the carbon competitiveness of existing operations, GS Caltex achieved a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

In the low-carbon business segment, the company recorded notable achievements: it became the first in Asia to obtain RecyClass certification covering the entire value chain for end-of-life vehicle (ELV) plastic recycling, and it ranked first for the second consecutive year in the new energy category of the "Most Admired Companies" survey organized by Korea Management Association Consulting (KMAC).

In its 21st sustainability report, published this year, GS Caltex highlighted performance not only in the environmental category but also in social and governance areas.

On the social front, the company restructured its safety and health framework to reflect key elements of domestic sustainability disclosure standards, reorganizing it around four pillars: governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and performance. GS Caltex also worked to build an advanced safety culture, including compliance with its Life Saving Golden Rules (LSGR), to prevent serious workplace accidents.

In governance, the company strengthened its company-wide ESG framework centered on the ESG Committee. In the digital and AI domain, it reinforced security management strategies for key customer and employee information. At the same time, GS Caltex introduced AiU, an in-house integrated generative AI platform, to improve employee productivity and raise the level of internal data protection.

"We will press forward without wavering toward becoming a 100-year company — one that is environmentally responsible, socially trusted, and respected for its transparent governance," said Heo Se-hong, vice chairman and CEO of GS Caltex.