Geo-Young publishes first sustainability report, targets 60% greenhouse gas cut by 2034

Geo-Young, South Korea's largest pharmaceutical distribution platform company, published its first sustainability report Wednesday, unveiling a medium- to long-term ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy.

The company released its "2025 Geo-Young Sustainability Report," covering the group's core businesses — pharmaceutical distribution, third- and fourth-party logistics (3PL and 4PL), and group purchasing organization (GPO) services. The report was prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards, an internationally recognized sustainability reporting framework, and underwent third-party verification based on AA1000AS v3 to bolster its credibility.

The report identifies eight key issues derived from a double materiality assessment, which analyzes the mutual impact between corporate activities and external factors. Geo-Young designated "pharmaceutical supply stability and business continuity management" as its top priority, with securing distribution quality, strengthening data protection, fostering a safe and healthy work environment, and promoting supplier cooperation among the other key action items.

On the environmental front, the report details a greenhouse gas reduction plan following the company's receipt last year of approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) — a first in the domestic pharmaceutical distribution sector. Geo-Young plans to cut direct and indirect emissions from logistics centers and vehicle operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 60% and supply chain emissions (Scope 3) by 35%, both by 2034. The company has also completed certification under the ISO 14001 environmental management system standard.

On the social side, Geo-Young will strengthen workplace safety and human rights management backed by ISO 45001 occupational health and safety certification, while on governance it plans to upgrade its board structure around expertise, independence, accountability and transparency. The company will pursue a four-phase roadmap — establishing the framework by 2027, embedding key performance indicators by 2030, and expanding ESG management across all business operations by 2035.

The report's publication is seen as significant because it proactively quantifies carbon emission reductions and supply chain transparency against international standards in what has traditionally been a conservative domestic pharmaceutical distribution sector, presenting those benchmarks as a model for building a sustainable healthcare logistics ecosystem.

"Pharmaceutical distribution is directly tied to public health and the stable operation of medical facilities, so expectations for social responsibility are high," said Cho Sun-hye, chairwoman of Geo-Young. "We will treat ESG management not merely as an administrative activity, but as a core management principle for achieving sustainable growth and fulfilling our social responsibilities."