Geo-Young becomes first Korean pharmaceutical distributor to earn EcoVadis silver medal

Geo-Young, South Korea's largest healthcare distribution platform, has earned a silver rating in a global ESG assessment, placing the company in the top 15% of evaluated firms worldwide.

It is the first time a domestic pharmaceutical distributor has received a silver medal in the evaluation.

Geo-Young announced Friday that it received a silver medal in the 2026 assessment conducted by EcoVadis, a Paris-based global sustainability rating agency.

EcoVadis evaluates more than 150,000 companies across 185 countries in four categories — environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement — and awards medals to those finishing in the top 35%. The silver rating is reserved for companies in the top 15%.

Geo-Young received strong scores across all categories. In the environment category, the company was recognized for its climate action framework approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), its ISO 14001 environmental management system certification, and its introduction of reusable materials at logistics sites.

Geo-Young plans to cut direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 60% by 2034 compared with 2023 levels, and to reduce supply chain emissions (Scope 3) by 35%. The company also received recognition in the labor and human rights category for its management capabilities under the ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system.

As multinational healthcare companies extend their ESG oversight from their own factories to broader supply chains including external distribution networks, Geo-Young said the internationally recognized certifications strengthen its foundation for global collaboration across third-party and fourth-party logistics operations.

The certification is seen as a turning point that will qualitatively elevate Geo-Young's logistics and distribution partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies, as the company proactively meets the stringent supply chain ESG guidelines that multinational pharmaceutical companies require.

"The efforts we have made in areas such as environmental management and safety have been recognized by a global rating agency," Chairwoman Cho Seon-hye said. "We will combine international-level ESG capabilities with our pharmaceutical distribution network to expand cooperation with domestic and overseas pharmaceutical companies."