[CES 2022] “The most creative exhibition”..SK’s ‘Net Zero’ attracting attention from foreign media

Local media such as ABC and visitors ‘admired’ the SK exhibition hall
Presenting a carbon reduction vision through media art..’Praise’
Presented to SK’s ESG management world such as ‘Net Zero’

[서울=뉴스핌] Reporter Seo Young-wook = “This amazing pavilion surrounded by trees shows how SK is realizing its vision of reducing carbon through technologies such as augmented reality.”

At ‘CES 2022’, the world’s largest consumer electronics and IT expo held in Las Vegas, USA on the 7th (local time), ABC, an American broadcaster, focused on reporting on ‘Green Forest Pavilion’, an exhibition hall of SK Group. The broadcast was conducted during the morning rush hour for regarding 3 million viewers in Nevada.

It is said that SK’s technology and products, which presented a ‘sustainable future’ through carbon reduction, gained a lot of sympathy in the local area as interest in environmental issues such as the climate crisis grew. The broadcaster noted that Chairman Chey Tae-won’s vision of ‘reducing 1% of the global carbon reduction target by 2030’ was a glimpse into SK Group’s efforts toward ‘Net Zero’ through this CES exhibition.

At the SK Pavilion of ‘CES 2022’ held in Las Vegas, USA on the 7th (local time), local media is introducing SK’s carbon reduction technology. [사진=SK]

The broadcast introduced the high-performance high-nickel NCM9 battery made by SK On and the ‘Net Zero City’ exhibition containing SK Ecoplant’s eco-friendly energy solution and explained how SK’s technology contributes to carbon reduction. NCM9 is one of the best batteries with nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which are the main raw materials for battery cathode materials, accounting for regarding 90% of the current battery.

When the camera illuminated the ‘Tree of Life’ pavilion, the highlight of the SK exhibition hall, the anchor in the studio exclaimed, “It’s beautiful.” A video of a dense forest was displayed on the four walls decorated in the form of media art, filling the exhibition hall with green. The broadcast introduced SK’s hydrogen ecosystem and eco-friendly semiconductor technology through augmented reality technology, adding that it was “one of the most creatively displayed companies while minimizing face-to-face contact in the era of Corona.”

At CES, which ended on the 7th of local time, SK Group was the only company that clearly showed carbon reduction technology and products under the theme of ‘Net Zero’. On the first day, regarding 3,000 people visited the exhibition, and the number of visitors increased to 5,000 the next day through word of mouth, and on the last day, regarding 7,000 people watched the exhibition. On the last day, SK explained that the exhibition hall had to be closed later than the scheduled time because of the people waiting in line to enter.

The audience reaction was also enthusiastic. Professor Jae-seung Jeong of KAIST said, “I was very impressed by the impact of the entire exhibition being delivered under the theme of ESG and the environment.” John Jacobs, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Solid Power, an American all-solid-state battery technology company, said in an interview on SK Innovation’s YouTube broadcast, “It is very cool and impressive to be able to see SK Group’s outstanding technological capabilities as well as efforts for Net Zero.” .

Spaces designed for general visitors to participate in carbon reduction were also very popular. SK handed out used mobile phone terminals to visitors one by one, and visitors received Green Points by touching NFC tags located throughout the exhibition hall and donated them to the conservation of mangrove forests in Vietnam. Since 2018, SK innovation has been carrying out the mangrove forest restoration project, which is called the lungs of Asia, and received an achievement award from the local government in Vietnam. During the CES event, a total of KRW 100 million was donated by visitors as Green Points.

In a food truck prepared by SK, products of alternative food companies invested by SK Corporation were showcased, and hot dogs made with substitute meat and ice cream made with milk protein substitute were crowded and sold out 4 hours before the end of the event.

SK Group is evaluated to have shown a vision of how Net Zero, the ‘sustainable future’ that technology must create, beyond simply exhibiting technologies and products, can be realized through CES. What the industry paid attention to was the ‘9 ecosystems’ presented by SK. In the ‘Tree of Life’ pavilion in the SK exhibition hall, SK’s businesses were divided into 9 areas and how these businesses contribute to reducing carbon was introduced.

These nine ecosystems consist of ▲electric vehicles ▲hydrogen ▲green energy ▲plastics ▲green semiconductor ▲clean solution ▲carbon dioxide capture, storage and utilization (CCUS) ▲lifestyle ▲carbonless society.

In the industry, it is evaluated that this is a sign that shows that SK Group, which has grown from the petrochemical industry, is making every effort to achieve a ‘deep change’. In fact, SK Group has made a rapid business restructuring with ESG-oriented management. An industry official said, “Amid the growing global awareness of environmental issues due to the corona crisis, SK picked the timely theme of ‘Net Zero’ to gain a lot of sympathy and raise the status of Korean companies.”

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