Posco International was selected as the grand prize winner in the ESG segment at the 2020 Outstanding Companies Awards hosted by the Korea Corporate Governance Service, the firm said Tuesday.

The firm said its efforts and achievements in promoting sustainable management had been recognized by winning the prize for two consecutive years.

The KCGS is an organization that conducts evaluation, research and surveys on corporate governance, social responsibility and environmental management.

It conducts ESG -- environmental, social and governance -- assessments annually for 900 listed companies in Korea. Since 2012, evaluation grades have been announced.

Posco International was selected as a top ESG company by acquiring an A+ for two consecutive years in the integrated grade of the three areas: environmental responsibility, social responsibility and governance.

Earlier this month, the trading firm was ranked first on the Korea Sustainability Index at the 2020 Korea Sustainability Conference organized by the Korean Standards Association.

Posco International said it is actively promoting the spread of its “corporate citizen” management philosophy at the company level and creating a virtuous circle of business. The firm also said it is proactively pursuing eco-friendly management by declaring environmental and social policies -- NDPE: No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation -- for the farm business, for the first time in Korea, and establishing detailed plans to reduce environmental impact and respond to climate change.

“All executives and staff members strive to proactively change for the company’s sustainable growth in line with the needs of the international community,” Posco International said. “We are actively responding to ESG’s evaluation as well as publishing sustainable reports and conducting activities to create non-financial values.”

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)