Celltrion has been ranked in the top 1% of global biotechnology firms in S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment, marking a significant improvement from its previous standing last year.

The recognition reflects strong performance across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas, including progress toward carbon neutrality targets, expansion of social impact programs, and enhanced shareholder returns, highlighting a more integrated and consistent approach to sustainability across its operations.

Key Overview

• Ranked Top 1% globally in ESG by S&P Global
• Named “Industry Mover” for biggest ESG score improvement
• Targeting carbon neutrality by 2045
• Supports biotech startups through open innovation programs
• Funds healthcare access in developing countries
• Strengthened governance with independent board structure
• Achieved 103% shareholder return rate in 2025

Celltrion has reached a significant milestone in its sustainability journey, ranking in the top 1% of companies globally in the biotechnology sector within S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA).

The CSA evaluates more than 12,000 companies worldwide, providing one of the most comprehensive benchmarks for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance across industries. Only the highest-performing companies are included in its annual Sustainability Yearbook, making inclusion in the top tier a strong indicator of leadership in sustainability practices.

Celltrion’s advancement from the top 5% last year to the top 1% this year represents a notable improvement in its ESG performance, underscoring its ability to strengthen sustainability practices within a relatively short period. This achievement is particularly significant as it makes Celltrion the only Korean company in the biotechnology category to reach this level, highlighting its competitive positioning on a global scale.

The recognition reflects a broader shift in global markets, where ESG performance is increasingly being viewed as a core measure of corporate competitiveness rather than a supplementary metric.

As investors, regulators, and stakeholders place greater emphasis on sustainability, companies that demonstrate measurable progress across ESG dimensions are gaining a strategic advantage in both capital markets and industry positioning.

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Strong ESG Performance Across Key Areas

The assessment reflects Celltrion’s strong performance across multiple ESG dimensions, including environmental management, social responsibility, and governance practices, all of which are becoming critical factors in evaluating long-term corporate resilience.

On the environmental front, the company is actively managing greenhouse gas emissions, with a long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

This includes expanding the use of renewable energy, increasing the proportion of eco-friendly vehicles within its operations, and minimizing environmental impact through lifecycle assessments (LCA) of its biosimilar products. These efforts reflect a systematic approach to reducing environmental footprint across the entire value chain.

Climate strategy is becoming increasingly central to long-term resilience in the biotechnology sector, where production processes and supply chains have significant environmental implications.

In the social domain, Celltrion is contributing to the development of the domestic biotech ecosystem through open innovation programs, offering tailored support to startups at various stages of growth and fostering innovation within the industry.

At the same time, the company is addressing broader societal needs by improving healthcare access in developing countries such as Madagascar through initiatives like its “Celeb Market” charity program, which channels proceeds from employee-driven activities toward medical support.

These initiatives highlight how ESG strategies are increasingly extending beyond internal operations to include broader social impact and community engagement, reinforcing the role of companies in addressing global challenges.

Governance Strength and Shareholder Value

On governance, Celltrion has taken significant steps to strengthen its corporate structure by introducing a lead independent director system, aligning its governance framework with global best practices and enhancing board independence.

This move reflects a growing emphasis on transparency, accountability, and effective oversight, which are critical components of strong governance in publicly listed companies.

In addition to governance improvements, the company has made notable efforts to enhance shareholder value through disciplined capital allocation strategies.

These include the implementation of a cash dividend of 750 won per share and the retirement of treasury shares worth 895 billion won in 2025, demonstrating a commitment to returning value to investors.

As a result, Celltrion achieved a shareholder return rate of 103%, one of the highest levels in the industry, reinforcing investor confidence and strengthening its position in capital markets.

Strong governance and effective capital allocation are emerging as key pillars of ESG leadership, linking sustainability performance with financial outcomes.

This alignment between ESG practices and shareholder value underscores a broader trend, where companies are increasingly expected to deliver both financial returns and sustainable impact as part of their long-term strategy.

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Recognized as an Industry Mover

In addition to its top 1% ranking, Celltrion was also named an “Industry Mover”, an award given to companies that demonstrate the largest year-on-year improvement in ESG scores within their respective sectors.

This recognition reflects not only strong absolute performance, but also the speed and consistency of progress in strengthening the company’s ESG framework and implementing improvements across its operations.

Achieving this level of advancement within a single year indicates a focused and structured effort to enhance sustainability practices, supported by clear targets, internal alignment, and measurable outcomes.

Momentum in ESG performance is becoming as important as absolute rankings in evaluating corporate leadership.

Investors and stakeholders are increasingly looking at how quickly companies are improving, not just where they currently stand, making continuous progress a critical factor in maintaining credibility.

The achievement also underscores Celltrion’s broader strategy of building an ESG-driven healthcare ecosystem, where sustainability is embedded into both operational processes and long-term business planning.

This includes aligning product development, supply chain management, and corporate governance with sustainability objectives, ensuring that ESG considerations are integrated across the entire value chain.

The shift toward embedding ESG into core operations reflects a move from incremental improvements to systemic transformation.

What This Means for Investors and Markets

Celltrion’s achievement highlights several key trends shaping the evolution of ESG investing and corporate strategy in global markets.

First, ESG ratings are becoming critical benchmarks for evaluating corporate performance, influencing not only investor perceptions but also capital allocation decisions and access to financing.

As rating frameworks become more standardized and widely adopted, they are increasingly serving as reference points for assessing risk, resilience, and long-term value creation.

ESG performance is evolving into a key indicator of financial and operational strength.

Second, companies with strong ESG credentials are gaining a competitive advantage in attracting capital, particularly from institutional investors such as pension funds and asset managers that prioritize sustainability in their portfolios.

This growing pool of ESG-focused capital is reshaping investment flows, directing funding toward companies that demonstrate strong environmental and social responsibility alongside sound governance practices.

Third, ESG is increasingly being embedded into core business strategy, rather than being treated as a separate or compliance-driven function.

Companies are moving toward integrated models where sustainability considerations influence decision-making across areas such as operations, investment, risk management, and product development.

Sustainability is evolving from a reporting requirement into a strategic driver of growth and competitiveness.

This shift reflects a broader transformation in how value is defined, with long-term performance increasingly linked to the ability to manage environmental and social risks while capturing new opportunities.

Outlook: ESG as a Driver of Long-Term Growth

Looking ahead, ESG is expected to play an even more central role in shaping corporate strategy, investment decisions, and market dynamics across industries.

In the short term, Celltrion is likely to benefit from increased investor interest and stronger positioning within ESG-focused portfolios, as demand for sustainable investments continues to grow.

This could enhance its access to capital and improve its visibility among global investors seeking high-performing ESG assets.

Over the medium term, maintaining and improving ESG performance will be essential for sustaining competitiveness, particularly as regulatory frameworks, reporting standards, and stakeholder expectations become more stringent.

Companies will need to demonstrate consistent progress, transparency, and measurable impact to remain aligned with evolving global standards.

Continuous improvement and adaptability will be key to maintaining ESG leadership.

In the long term, ESG integration is expected to become a baseline requirement across global markets, rather than a differentiating factor, with companies needing to deliver both financial performance and sustainability outcomes.

This shift will further embed ESG considerations into capital markets, influencing how companies are valued, financed, and evaluated over time.

The future of corporate success will be defined by the ability to align growth with sustainability, balancing economic performance with environmental and social responsibility.

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