LG Electronics met its 2030 targets early last year for greenhouse gas emissions and waste recycling rates. It also added a new responsible management section tailored to the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) in its sustainability report.
LG Electronics on the 30th published the 2025-2026 sustainability report and disclosed key results in environment, social, and governance (ESG). The report covers greenhouse gas reduction, resource circulation, product accessibility, governance, and an AI ethics framework.
Last year, total greenhouse gas emissions from direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions (Scope 2) at LG Electronics' domestic and overseas business sites came to 842,000 tCO₂eq. tCO₂eq is a measure that converts greenhouse gases into carbon dioxide emissions.
LG Electronics has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at business sites by 54.6% by 2030 compared with 2017. Last year's emissions were lower than the 2030 target of 878,000 tCO₂eq. The company cited the adoption of high-efficiency equipment and a switch to renewable electricity as reduction measures.
Carbon emissions during the product use phase also fell. The unit carbon emissions in the use phase of seven major products last year decreased 22.5% compared with 2020. Previously, LG Electronics obtained verification from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and set a goal to cut unit greenhouse gas emissions in the use phase of seven major products by 20% by 2030 compared with 2020.
In resource circulation, the waste recycling rate at domestic and overseas business sites reached 97.3%. That exceeds the 2030 target of 95%. All domestic business sites achieved Platinum, the highest level in the Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) program.
Collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment also increased. LG Electronics collected 640,000 t of waste electronics in 91 regions across 56 countries last year. Cumulative collection since 2006 is 5.65 million t.
The report also includes examples of improving product accessibility. The company highlighted the LG Comfort Kit, braille panels, sign language guidance, kiosks with screen reader functions, and the LG Easy TV for senior customers as representative examples to help people use appliances easily regardless of gender, age, or disability. In the service sector, it operates sign language consultations and dedicated consultations for seniors.
On governance, it said it separates the roles of board chair and CEO. LG Electronics earlier this year appointed an outside director as board chair.
This year's report also newly includes an "AI responsible management" section. LG Electronics said it will strengthen ethical standards and operating systems to secure accountability and transparency in the development and use of AI.
It also disclosed external ESG assessment results. LG Electronics was included in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class (DJ BIC) World Index for the 14th consecutive year. In S&P Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), it ranked in the "Top 1%" for the third straight year, and in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) assessment, it received an AA rating, one notch higher than the previous year. In the EcoVadis assessment, it received a Platinum rating, corresponding to the top 1%, for the second year in a row.