Kakao announced Wednesday that it has been selected as a top-performing company in S&P Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) for the fourth consecutive year.
S&P Global annually evaluates companies across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and publishes its Sustainability Yearbook, highlighting leading performers by industry. The CSA is widely regarded as a credible benchmark for measuring corporate sustainability performance. This year, only 848 companies out of approximately 9,200 assessed across 59 industries were included in the yearbook. Kakao has been listed for four consecutive years.
In the Interactive Media & Services and Home Entertainment (IMS) industry category, Kakao scored 76 points, a six-point increase from the previous year, placing it in the top 5%. This ranks second among 148 companies in the sector. Only five Korean companies ranked in the top 5% across all industry categories, with Kakao being the sole Korean representative in the IMS sector.
Kakao received strong ratings across governance, environmental, and social criteria, earning recognition for its continued efforts to enhance ESG management systems. The company has systematically improved its ESG performance through strengthened internal audit systems, improved energy efficiency at data centers, enhanced disclosure of environmental impact management, and expanded human rights impact assessments. Kakao has also reinforced responsible business practices through AI safety enhancements, compliance and ethics management improvements, and expanded renewable energy procurement.
The company said it plans to continue strengthening ESG management in line with global standards and position itself as a company building a sustainable future together with stakeholders.