By Lee Kap-soo

POSCO Thainox, under the stewardship of President Shin Hyung-gu, was bestowed with the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Award at the ‘2023 Environmental Impact Assessment Monitoring Awards,’ an event held at Bangkok’s Asawin Grand Convention Hotel.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has hosted this ceremony since 1995, on a 2-3 years cycle. It accredits environmentally conscious companies by recognizing excellence in environmental management across various key industries, including manufacturing, energy, and petrochemicals. The evaluation encapsulates five categories: water pollution, air pollution, resource utilization, energy management, and waste management.

During the awards ceremony, Vice-minister Jatuporn Buruspat graced from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, POSCO Thainox received environmentally friendly company certification, and eight other manufacturing firms. In total, 43 companies across seven industry sectors were recognized.

POSCO Thainox earned this distinction by demonstrating exceptional results in waste-to-resource initiatives, such as recycling waste from acid pre-treatment processes, achieving zero landfill through the recycling of neutralized sludge waste, and repurposing water treatment iron scale.

Major media, including Thai public broadcasting, disseminated news of the award, enhancing POSCO Thainox’s reputation in Thailand for sustainable environmental management and environmentally friendly operations.

POSCO Thainox was awarded the Green Industry Level 3 certification by the Thai Ministry of Industry in 2019 and is currently striving for a higher Level 4 certification this year. The Green Industry Level certification, conferred annually by the Ministry of Industry, appraises seven areas: governance, human rights management, labor laws, environment, fairness, customer VOC, and social contributions. Achieving Level 4 certification would bestow upon a company preferential rights in government procurement, alongside eco-product certification, and allow it to manage waste autonomously without requiring government approval.

In 2022, Thailand’s Ministry of Industry honored POSCO Thainox at the ‘Eco Factory+ Value Awards’ for its remarkable waste-to-resource achievements. This year, it is pursuing three environmentally friendly certifications from the Thai government, including the Green Industry Level 4 certification.