이 기사는 2021년 12월 29일 08:14 thebell 에 표출된 기사입니다.

South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco has hired an expert in low carbon technology and hydrogen energy as it seeks to improve its environment, social, governance (ESG) performance.

Posco recently hired Dr. Yoon Joo-woong as a senior researcher of its hydrogen and low carbon energy research center as part of its regular personnel reshuffle.

Born in 1970, Dr. Yoon studied chemical engineering at Ajou University, earned his master’s degree from the University of Utah, and his doctorate from Konkuk University. He worked at Samsung Engineering, Daewoo E&C, and KBR, and recently joined the hydrogen research center of the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, (RIST) as a senior researcher.

The South Korean steelmaker presented carbon reduction targets and technology roadmap to respond to climate change. But it has remained mediocre for five years in terms of global standards.

According to industry sources, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) didn’t give its ESG score to Posco this year.

MSCI granted the steelmaker a BBB rating for five straight years from 2016 to 2020. MSCI ESG Ratings provides an overall company ESG rating - a seven point scale from AAA to CCC. Of the 31 global steelmakers that were evaluated by the MSCI ESG Ratings, 16% received the BBB rating.

Posco was not a laggard on any of the key issues that MSCI evaluated for the steel industry. It was a leader on toxic emissions and waste and water stress issues and was an average on six issues, including corporate governance, corporate behavior, carbon emissions, biodiversity and land use, health and safety, and labor management.

It is worth noting that evaluation by MSCI is different from that of a domestic agency. Posco received an overall A+ rating this year from the Korea Corporate Governance Service (KCGS), one of the leading ESG rating agencies in Korea. It has received an A rating since 2016 except for 2018 when it got a B rating.

In June, Posco announced a commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 in its Corporate Citizenship report. To achieve the goal, the steelmaker plans to first achieve a 20% carbon reduction by 2030 and 50% carbon reduction by 2040. Posco aims to meet this target via the use of hydrogen-reduction steel, which will involve the implementation of novel technology.

Dr. Yoon has expertise in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), which encompasses methods and technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the flue gas and from the atmosphere, followed by recycling the carbon dioxide for utilization and determining safe and permanent storage options.

Posco recently established a future technology research institute and recruited outside experts. The institute is expected to lead research and development activities to foster the company’s new growth businesses such as rechargeable batteries, hydrogen and artificial intelligence ahead of its proposed corporate restructuring toward a holding company structure. (Reporting by Seo-young Kim)