Hana Financial Group Chairman and CEO Ham Young-joo, right, poses with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon during a ceremony to mark the financial group's donation of electric vehicles to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's welfare facilities, at City Hall in central Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

By Yi Whan-woo

Hana Financial Group has donated electric vehicles (EVs) to welfare facilities run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as part of its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices, the company announced on Monday.

It said it donated a total of 10 EVs, one each to senior centers, women's shelters, disability care centers and other welfare facilities in the nation's capital.

The donation was made in line with a three-way deal signed in October among the banking group's non-life insurer Hana Insurance, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Council on Social Welfare to promote the use of eco-friendly transport in the public sector.

Hana Financial Group anticipated that the 10 EVs will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 tons every year, while increasing convenience for those who need transportation help when visiting welfare facilities.

"The eco-friendly transport campaign is meaningful in terms of environmental protection and the prosperity of society," Hana Financial Group Chairman and CEO Ham Young-joo said.

"We will make foremost efforts to tackle climate change issues as well as those concerning our communities, in a step toward fulfilling the group-wide mission of growing together and sharing happiness with other members of society."

Hana Financial Group has been working with both the private and public sectors to tackle climate change and reach the U.N. goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

For example, Hana Insurance has a car insurance program that offers benefits specifically to clients who drive their cars less and therefore contribute to curbing emissions.