Protecting the Environment
for a Sustainable Tomorrow

In 2015, GC Biopharma established a company-wide “Environmental, Safety, and Health Policy,” demonstrating our commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of our business operations and prioritizing safety and health. This declaration underscores our dedication to ESG management and enhances our environmental management systems, with environmental preservation as a primary focus.

  • Environmental and Safety·Health Management

  • Environmental Management System

  • Response to Climate Change

  • Building a Circular Economy

Environmental Management System

We operate ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) to meet both domestic and international environmental regulations, as well as customer requirements. We are committed to minimizing the environmental impacts and risks associated with our products, activities, and services as part of our commitment to sustainable development.

Certificate of ISO14001

Strategy and Goals

At GC Biopharma, we prioritize the safety and health of the planet and our diverse stakeholders.

We are committed to implementing global environmental management practices and taking a long-term approach to address climate change.

  • Response to Climate Change

    Achieving Net Zero by 2050

    • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
    • Lowering energy consumption
    • Expanding the use of eco-friendly and renewable energy sources

  • Pollution Reduction

    Minimizing pollutant emissions

    • Wastewater
    • Waste
    • Air pollutants
    • Hazardous chemicals

  • Chemical
    Substance Management

    Establishing a chemical substance management system

    • Conducting pre-safety assessments
    • Managing the entire process to prevent chemical accidents

Strategic Initiatives

  • Achieving Net Zero by 2050 through Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction

  • Strengthening Comprehensive Monitoring for Chemical Substances

  • Enhancing Internal Standards for Pollutant Emissions

  • Conducting Annual Environmental Impact Assessments

Environmental Management Activities

  • Investment in high-efficiency equipment | Upgrading boilers and transformers, and installing energy-saving LED lighting
  • Enhancing the performance of manufacturing equipment and processes
  • Implementing eco-friendly technologies | Adopting renewable energy sources like solar power, and installing systems to reduce fine dust and other pollutants
  • Promoting Eco-Friendly Materials through the 3R Initiative (Reduce, Replace, Recycle): Reduce packaging materials, Replace with environmentally sustainable alternatives, Recycle by optimizing designs for recyclability

At the Ochang Plant, a shift from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to steam generated from waste incineration heat began in 2017, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, major contributors to air pollution and global warming.

As a result, the Ochang Plant has successfully reclassified from a “Type 2 Air Pollutant Emission Facility” to a “Type 4 Facility.” Additionally, the introduction of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) in 2018 has allowed the plant to optimize electricity usage by storing energy during off-peak hours for use during peak times, further improving energy efficiency and reducing overall consumption.

The Hwasun Plant has implemented an energy management system to optimize power usage and has replaced fluorescent lighting with energy-efficient LEDs to further reduce energy consumption. Additionally, the plant has installed an Energy Storage System (ESS), explored alternative heat sources, and improved boiler efficiency by addressing steam leaks and promptly shutting down unused areas—all in continued efforts to save energy.

GC Biopharma became the first in the pharmaceutical industry to sign a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SK E&S as part of its commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050. Starting in 2026, renewable energy will be supplied to the Ochang, Eumseong, and Hwasun plants, resulting in an expected annual reduction of approximately 3,600 tons of greenhouse gases due to the 6.7 MW of renewable energy generated. Beginning in 2024, both the Ochang and Eumseong plants will start producing renewable energy (Ochang: 1,325 kW, Eumseong: 313 kW), which will also be supplied externally.

* ESS: A storage system that allows generated energy to be stored in batteries for later use, enhancing efficiency by reducing wasted energy.

'GC Plogging’ - Social Contribution through Environmental Protection Activities

  • Promoting health, environmental protection, and charitable contributions through plogging
    * Plogging: A combination of the Swedish word plocka upp (to pick up) and the English word jogging, meaning jogging while picking up trash as an environmental protection activity.

Environmental Protection ‘Reaction’ - Employee-driven Environmental Protection Initiative

  • Employees engage in environmental protection through three actions: Remind (Rethink), Reduce (Reuse), and Recycle.
  • Remind (Rethink): Raising awareness about environmental pollution
  • Remind (Reuse): Actively reducing single-use products and increasing the use of reusable containers
  • Recycle: Encouraging thorough and consistent recycling practices
  • Employees participate in activities like signing environmental protection pledges, reducing single-use products use, and practicing proper recycling. Donations are generated based on completed activities, with funds contributed to vulnerable communities affected by environmental pollution.

Policy for Environment,
Safety and Health

Based on our mission of ‘Making a healthier and happier tomorrow for humanity’, GC Biopharma fulfills the obligations to implement the Environmental, Safety and Health management system,establish and practice ESG strategies for sustainable management and continuously develop them.

  • 01

    Sustainable management through ESG management

    We strive to reduce energy use and GHG emissions at each business site to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In order to establish eco-friendly production processes, we track and manage energy usage and waste generation throughout the entire process from manufacturing to postproduction disposal.

  • 02

    Adherence to Regulations on Environment, Safety and Health

    We comply with domestic and international regulations on environmental, safety and health and actively participate in implementing ISO14001/45001 and in establishing prevention systems centered on autonomous risk assessment to eliminate major accidents

  • 03

    Improvement and Prevention Management

    We set clear objectives for environmental, safety, and health management, allocating the necessary resources to continuously identify, monitor, assess, and improve our processes. This approach ensures the elimination of potential risks that could lead to environmental pollution or safety-related incidents.

  • 04

    Environment, Safety and Health Communication

    We foster a mature environmental, safety and health culture where employees can actively participate in environmental, safety and health activities. We strive to create a safe workplace by efficiently communicating with stakeholders including employees, partners, local communities.

May 18, 2023

Eun-chul Huh, CEO of GC Biopharma