LG beats 2030 emissions target in 2025 sustainability report

LG Electronics has released its 2025-2026 Sustainability Report, showing that its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in 2025 fell below its 2030 target.

Direct and indirect emissions across domestic and overseas sites totalled 842,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, compared with a 2030 target of 878,000 tonnes.

The result means LG reached early a target to cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 54.6 per cent from 2017 levels by 2030. It attributed the reduction to more energy-efficient equipment and a shift to renewable electricity across its operations.

The report also showed progress in emissions linked to product use. In 2025, carbon emissions per unit during the use stage of seven main product categories were down 22.5 per cent from 2020, ahead of a 2030 target of 20 per cent.

LG said the target had previously been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative and that it was the first South Korean home appliance manufacturer to receive that validation for a use-stage emissions target.

Waste targets

Resource recovery was another area where LG moved ahead of schedule. Its waste recycling rate across domestic and overseas business sites reached 97.3 per cent in 2025, above a 2030 goal of 95 per cent.

All five domestic production sites retained Zero Waste to Landfill certification at Platinum level, according to the report. LG also collected 640,000 tonnes of used electronics from 91 locations in 56 countries during 2025.

That brought cumulative e-waste recovery to more than 5.65 million tonnes since 2006, when LG began publishing annual sustainability reports.

Accessibility measures

Beyond environmental metrics, the report outlined steps to improve accessibility across products and services. These included the LG Comfort Kit, intended to make home appliances easier to use regardless of age, gender or disability.

LG also highlighted broader use of braille and tactile guides on products, along with kiosks fitted with sign-language avatars at service locations. It said LG Easy TV was designed for older users and that it offers sign-language consultations for people with hearing impairments, as well as dedicated consultation services for senior customers.

Governance changes

The report also detailed changes to board oversight and governance. LG said it had separated the roles of Chief Executive Officer and board chairperson and had appointed an independent director as board chairperson earlier this year.

It also added a new section on Responsible AI to describe how it manages accountability and transparency in the development and use of artificial intelligence. LG said the section outlines its AI Ethics Principles and governance framework in response to wider adoption of AI technologies.

External ratings

LG also highlighted third-party sustainability assessments. It said it had been included in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World Index for 14 consecutive years and ranked in the Top 1% of S&P Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment for a third straight year.

It also reported an AA rating from MSCI, one level higher than the previous year, and a second consecutive Platinum rating from EcoVadis. According to LG, the EcoVadis result places it among the top one per cent of businesses in its industry category.

The report presents a broad set of environmental, social and governance measures as large manufacturers face closer scrutiny over emissions, product life cycles, labour standards and board independence. For consumer electronics and appliance groups in particular, progress on energy use and waste recovery is increasingly measured against published long-term targets rather than one-off initiatives.

LG has published an annual sustainability report since 2006, and the latest edition places particular emphasis on emissions, recycling, accessibility and AI governance.