Designated as 2027 lead company to share ESG experience

AI-driven power savings, carbon reduction in focus

SK Telecom's Euljiro headquarters. [SK Telecom]
SK Telecom's Euljiro headquarters. [SK Telecom]

SK Telecom has been named a 2027 Lead Company by the UN Global Compact Korea Association, in recognition of its AI-powered ESG management practices and contributions to spreading a culture of sustainable management.

SK Telecom announced Tuesday that it received the designation at the 2026 Korea Leaders Summit hosted by the UN Global Compact Korea Association.

The UN Global Compact, launched by the United Nations in 2000, is a corporate sustainability initiative that supports companies in applying principles related to human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption to their operations, and encourages collaboration toward sustainable growth.

Each year, the Korea Association selects around 10 companies and organizations from among its roughly 360 member firms that have made notable contributions to spreading sustainable management practices and advancing the ESG ecosystem.

SK Telecom has served as co-chair of the Korea Association's environmental working group, sharing its experience addressing key ESG issues and its know-how in building management systems. The company has particularly introduced cases of applying AI to ESG work, helping member companies strengthen their AI capabilities.

Building on the lead company designation, SK Telecom said it plans to enhance trust in its AI technologies and services while reinforcing its eco-friendly management practices.

To that end, the company is pursuing its environmental strategy along two tracks: "AI for decarbonization" and "decarbonization for AI." It is applying AI-based power-saving technology to its telecommunications network and working to improve the operational efficiency of its data centers.

At the summit held Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Eom Jong-hwan, head of SK Telecom's sustainable management division, presented on the theme "Beyond the Carbon Dilemma of AI," introducing cases of energy efficiency improvements through AI technology and decarbonization efforts in AI infrastructure.

"Achieving an energy transition and decarbonization requires collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including businesses, governments and financial institutions," Eom said. "We will share our experience and know-how with UN Global Compact members and work to strengthen the foundation for sustainable growth by linking AI technology innovation with environmental management."

Meanwhile, SK Telecom is also pursuing energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures as it expands its AI data center business. In its AI data center development plan released in June, the company set renewable energy integration and energy efficiency as prerequisites for the project. Over the medium to long term, it plans to reduce its environmental impact by utilizing renewable energy, carbon-free power sources, and high-efficiency cooling and energy optimization technologies.


woo@heraldcorp.com