Nexen Tire breaks into top 2% in EcoVadis ESG rating, earns gold for third consecutive year

Nexen Tire announced Monday that it has placed in the top 2% of all companies evaluated globally in EcoVadis' 2026 ESG (environmental, social and governance) assessment.

The tiremaker scored at the 98th percentile in this year's evaluation, advancing from the top 3% it achieved last year. It posted strong results across all four assessment categories — environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement — with the environment category receiving the highest marks. The gold rating, awarded to companies in the top 5%, marks the third consecutive year Nexen Tire has achieved that designation.

In the environment category, the company was recognized for its environmental management capabilities. Particularly noted were its full-scope greenhouse gas emissions disclosures and the operation of environmental management systems across its global facilities. Nexen Tire has received Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approval for its publicly stated goal of cutting Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 58.8 percent from 2023 levels by 2034.

In labor and human rights, the company was credited for expanding the coverage of its labor and human rights management systems across global operations. In sustainable procurement, it drew positive marks for a range of supply chain initiatives — including revisions to its supplier code of conduct, ESG due diligence across the supply chain, and training programs to raise ESG awareness among procurement staff.

The ethics category showed the largest improvement of any area assessed. Nexen Tire continuously operates policies and implementation frameworks covering anti-corruption, conflict-of-interest prevention and information security. In this cycle, the company was recognized particularly for expanding information security activities across its global sites.

EcoVadis ratings are used by global automakers as a criterion for selecting suppliers. As pressure grows — especially in Europe — for ESG performance throughout supply chains, the result is expected to strengthen Nexen Tire's competitiveness in securing original equipment tire supply contracts.

Nexen Tire currently supplies OE tires to more than 30 automotive brands and approximately 120 vehicle models worldwide. In the first half of this year, OE sales to automakers rose about 80 percent compared with the same period last year.

EcoVadis is a Paris-headquartered global ESG rating agency that evaluates companies' sustainability management across four categories: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Since its founding in 2007, it has assessed more than 150,000 companies in 185 countries, assigning ratings of platinum (top 1%), gold (top 5%), silver (top 15%) and bronze (top 35%).

"Maintaining the gold rating for three consecutive years means our sustainability management framework is genuinely functioning," a Nexen Tire official said. "We will continue to improve our ESG management activities in a systematic way and contribute to sustainable mobility."