Kakao joins RE100 initiative to fight climate change

Kakao signed up for the RE100 initiative, a global campaign to replace all electricity generated by fossil fuels with renewable energy by 2050.

The internet company that operates KakaoTalk messenger moved up the target year to 2040, according to a statement released Wednesday.

Kakao pledged to replace 60 percent of electricity consumption with renewable energy by 2030 in its office buildings and data centers and replace 100 percent by 2040.

Its headquarters on Jeju Island is powered 100 percent by renewable energy.

The pledge is a part of the company’s strategy to further take into account environmental factors, which was announced last year.

“This represents Kakao’s commitment to responding to climate change, in line with the Active Green Initiative,” said Kakao CEO Hong Eun-taek in a statement.

“We will fulfill social responsibility by achieving carbon neutrality and management that values environment, social and governance mandates,” the CEO said.

RE100, short for Renewable Energy 100 percent, was started in 2014 by The Climate Group in partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project. The goal is to encourage global corporations to run on 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050.

Over 400 companies around the world are registered with the campaign.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]