On Friday, Geo-Young, the largest healthcare platform in South Korea, announced its achievement of a Silver medal in EcoVadis’s 2026 sustainability assessment. This marks the first time a domestic pharmaceutical distribution company has received such recognition.
EcoVadis, a sustainability rating agency founded in Paris in 2007, evaluates over 150,000 companies across 185 countries. Their assessment covers four key areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Medals are awarded to the top 35% of companies, with Silver medals reserved for the top 15%.
Geo-Young received balanced scores across all four assessment areas.
In the environmental category, the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions throughout its pharmaceutical logistics operations were particularly noteworthy. Their climate response system, approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems contributed significantly to their positive evaluation.
In logistics, Geo-Young supports its clients’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives through eco-friendly practices, such as using reusable materials. The company aims to cut direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 60% by 2034 compared to 2023 levels, and reduce supply chain emissions (Scope 3) by 35%.
In the labor and human rights category, Geo-Young was recognized for consistently improving workplace safety standards, backed by their ISO 45001 certification for occupational health and safety management systems.
The global healthcare industry is expanding its ESG focus beyond internal operations to encompass the entire supply chain, from raw material sourcing to logistics and distribution. EcoVadis assessments are increasingly used as a key metric for selecting international partners and managing supply chains.
Given its existing partnerships with numerous multinational healthcare companies, Geo-Young expects this assessment to further strengthen its global collaborations. The company plans to enhance responsible supply chain practices across all its operations, including pharmaceutical distribution and 3PL/4PL logistics services.
Cho Sun-hye, Geo-Young’s Chairperson, stated that this recognition from a global evaluation agency validates our commitment to environmental and safety management. It will leverage the international-standard ESG capabilities within Korea’s premier pharmaceutical distribution network to expand partnerships with both domestic and international pharmaceutical companies.
Geo-Young specializes in pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution, supplying medications from manufacturers to hospitals and pharmacies nationwide. The company also offers third-party logistics (3PL) for pharmaceutical storage and delivery, as well as fourth-party logistics (4PL) services for comprehensive logistics management.