Youngone, a South Korean manufacturer of outdoor and athletic apparel and footwear, has published the English edition of its 2025 Sustainability Report, broadening global access to information on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance following the release of the Korean version in July. The move comes as global brands and their suppliers face growing pressure from customers and regulators to provide verifiable ESG disclosures across supply chains.

The report is aligned with major international disclosure frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative Standards 2021 and the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures — standards commonly used by multinational buyers when evaluating supplier sustainability performance.

In its environmental section, Youngone details expanded manufacturing using recycled materials and the development of new materials as part of a circular-economy strategy. The company has also stepped up investment in solar power systems at its overseas production sites, with plans to establish facilities with a combined capacity of about 71 megawatt-peak by the end of this year. On-site renewable generation is one way manufacturers in apparel-producing countries are working to cut the energy-related emissions associated with factory operations.

The report also outlines Youngone's investment in communities surrounding the Korean Export Processing Zone in Bangladesh, where the company is a major developer and operator of industrial facilities. At the industrial complex, the company operates a general hospital of roughly 100 beds along with a nursing college. By 2027, it plans to expand the hospital to about 500 beds and to establish a medical college to improve local access to health care. Youngone is additionally developing a textile and fashion college capable of accommodating about 800 students to train industry professionals, addressing workforce development in a country where the ready-made garment sector is a backbone of the economy.

On governance, the report describes measures to strengthen risk management and shareholder value, including a corporate value enhancement plan and the company's mid- to long-term growth strategy — an area of heightened attention for Korean listed companies under the country's corporate value-up initiatives.

"We hope the English-language report will help global stakeholders better understand the direction of our ESG management and the efforts behind it," said Youngone Holdings Vice Chair Sung Rae-eun. "We will continue operating in line with global standards and transparently disclosing relevant information."