Aiming for “growth with stakeholders (Together with Society),” SK Innovation is spreading a corporate culture of “Separately but Together” by carrying out various social contribution activities for the happiness of residents in local communities, not only near its domestic businesses but also its overseas businesses. Moreover, its overseas branches are adding more significance to the company’s activities in creating social values by their active participation, beyond corporate-level donations.

In 2022, SK Innovation’s affiliate businesses around the globe carried out different social contribution activities for the benefit of stakeholders. Let’s look at the positive influence of SK hi-tech battery materials China (hereinafter “SKBMC”) and SK hi-tech battery materials Poland (hereinafter “SKBMP”), two of SK Innovation’s subsidiaries.

 
01 | Power to protect earth “together”
 

▲ Participation in the EnviRun Plogging Campaign by members of SK Innovation’s global business sites

As part of implementing ESG management from 2021, SK Innovation has been engaging in the ‘EnviRun for the Earth’ campaign, a plogging volunteer activity to respond to environmental pollution due to waste plastics and garbage. In 2022, the campaign reached the global members of overseas SK Innovation affiliates and local community officials, convincing them to take actions to protect the global environment.

Started as an internal program for SK Innovation’s members, the campaign was expanded to be a national campaign in South Korea. Last year, a total of 160,000 citizens in the country participated, picking up more than 240 tons of plastic wastes and garbage, and their total walking distance is equivalent to walking eight times around the Earth. This year, SK Innovation plans to expand the scale, expecting about 300,000 people in South Korea to join the campaign.

As part of this, in January of this year, SKBMC, together with members of BEST, carried out a campaign for correct separation of waste in the community of Changzhou to protect the environment.

▲ (Left) SKBMC and BEST members play games with the booth visitors in the ESG campaign held by SKBMC and BEST to raise awareness on waste segregation in Jintan, Changzhou, China, on January 8, 2022. (Right) The campaign booth set up by SKBMC and BEST in Wuyue Square, the biggest shopping center in Jintan District, Changzhou, China

The event aimed to raise interest among the people of Changzhou on the gravity of environmental pollution and ecosystem balance and to increase awareness on the preservation of the environment.

SKBMC and BEST members campaigned by spreading the message such as “Segregating waste starts from me,” and “Let’s create a new culture to protect the Earth,” among others. In the campaign booth, the members held various activities and games for visitors to experience the waste segregation themselves, which ended with great success.

SK Innovation members’ action to make positive impacts on the environment was also seen in other countries as well. On Earth Day, April 22, nearby Pogoria Lake in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, 110 people including SK members and Dąbrowa government officers participated in the Envirun plogging activity. In other words, SK’s practice of ‘making our community clean with our hands’ has become a precedent that spreads beyond individuals and companies to the local community.

▲ SKBMP members took part in EnviRun Plogging around Lake Pogoria, Dabrowa Gornicza, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland on June 28th and July 9th. – The event took place after the Polish government lifted the obligation to wear masks outdoors.

Along with this, members and employees of SKBMC and its partner companies participated in the EnviRun Plogging campaign twice – in April and in October – at a lake located near their office, assuring to engage in continuous actions to convey the meaning of the campaign to local public and students.

▲ (Left) Last April, SK hi-tech battery materials China (SKBMC) joined the plogging activity around Yushan Village, Jintan District, Changzhou, China. (Right) Last October, SKBMC members participated in the plogging campaign.

Let’s look forward to the actions of SK IE Technology’s overseas business sites and members that will continue to protect our planet in 2023.

 
02 | “Separately” created power of love towards the local community
 

SK Innovation strives for coexistence and happiness with the local community. The company has continued to think about what it can do to solve the social problems of local communities near its offices and has been putting its ideas into actions.

To contribute to the quarantine effort in communities facing challenges due to COVID-19, SKBMC donated 1,000 disposable masks, 1,000 protective clothing, and 500 face shields to the government of the Jintan Development Zone in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China. Also, it thanked the government of the Jintan Development Zone for its hard work in helping the company operate its industries stably during COVID-19. With this work, the branch created an opportunity to build close relations with the local community.

▲ Last May, SKBMC donated 1,000 disposable masks, 1,000 protective clothing, and 500 face shields to the government of the Jintan Development Zone in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.

Moreover, SKBMC has continued to conduct social contribution activities to support children with developmental disabilities, a company-wide theme for social contribution.

On May 31, 10 SKBMC members including the CEO of SKBMC Choi Young-ho, visited the Jintan Geji School, a school for children with developmental disabilities, located near their office. The representatives of SKBMC including CEO of the company Choi Young-ho have visited Geji School in Jintan District and installed display devices, basketball, various rackets for sports, jump ropes, kick scooters for the children that would help improve the children’s physical activities and social skills.

SKBMC members spent a happy time touring the school with the teachers, made Zongzi (rice balls) and played games with the students, and enjoyed the students’ performances. Through this activity, SKBMC members were able to develop more interest in children with developmental disabilities in the local community.

▲ Last May, SKBMC members visited the Jintan Geji School and took photos with the students after donating educational facilities and items.

Although it may be far in distance, on the other side of the globe, SKBMP has also carried out various activities to spread warmth to the local community.

Continued from last year, SKBMP was the main sponsor of the Michał Spisak International Festival, held in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Śląskie, Poland, spreading happiness in the community through music. SKBMP is also focusing on rasing up regional human resources, by investing in educational facilities and organizing classes linked to company recruitment with three technical schools located in Eastern Poland, in the cities of Dąbrowa Górnicza and Sosnowiec.

▲ (Left) On September 21, CEO of SKBMP Park Byung-chul (far left), is delivering the grand prize in clarinet to the Polish winner, Agata Piątek (second from left), of the 13^th Michał Spisak International Festival on September 23, 2021 (local time). (Right) The attendees are taking photos after signing an industry-academic cooperation with CKZiU Technical School. (From left to right, Vice Mayor of Sosnovietz Zvigniew Vyshevsky, Principal of CKZiU Technical School Yachek Gursky, CEO of SKBMP Park Byung-chul, Deputy Representative of Katowice Special Economic Zone Mateusz Rykała)

Also, SKBMP participated in activities to spread care and love to children in the community.

Its members have been delivering happiness to the St. Dominic Savio Nursery in Sarnouf, home to 80 children of different ages, including refugees from the Ukrainian war by regularly visiting them. On June 1 (Polish Children’s Day) and December 6 (Polish Santa day), SKBMP representatives visited the nursery and had a good time with the children. They also gave snacks, healthy foods, and educational items.

▲ (Top) Last June, SKBMP members visited St. Dominik Savio Nursery for Children’s Day to deliver gifts. (Bottom) Last December, SKBMP members visited St. Dominik Savio Nursery for Christmas, to deliver Christmas presents.

Moreover, All SKBMP members participated in “Noble Gift (Szlachetna Paczka),” the largest social contribution program in Poland, its second participation from last year. The members gave daily necessities (clothes, groceries, cleaning tools, toys, books, flowerpots, etc.) to families in need in the local community.

SKBMP members said that they realized “they could achieve amazing feasts by acting together” through this volunteering.

▲ In December, SKBMP provided daily necessities to families in need through “Noble Gift (Szlachetna Paczka).”

Other SK Innovation affiliates overseas are also carrying out various social contribution activities and volunteer activities based on the features of their respective local community, spreading SK Innovation’s positive influence around the globe. We look forward to having more heart-warming news from our members in the New Year.