One day, an email lands in your inbox from a European customer’s procurement contact:

“Dear partner, as part of our sustainability due diligence, we kindly request you to provide ESG-related documentation by [date].”

If you’re new to this, the first reaction is usually a mix of “What is ESG, exactly?” and “What documents am I supposed to send?” Saying no risks the relationship. Saying yes — without knowing what to send — feels just as risky.

This post walks through where these requests originate, why they’re hitting Korean and other Asian suppliers right now, and how the trajectory looks going forward.

CSRD — the source of nearly every request

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is the EU directive that mandates large European companies to publicly report their ESG performance every year.

In plain language:

“Companies operating in the EU above a certain size must annually disclose their environmental, social, and governance position in a structured report.”

Here’s the part that matters for suppliers. CSRD’s disclosure scope includes the entire value chain, not just the reporting entity itself. A European buyer must report not only their own ESG status, but also confirm that their suppliers are managing ESG risk appropriately.

That’s why European procurement teams have started routinely sending ESG questionnaires down to their suppliers — including small and mid-sized manufacturers in Korea.

Who does CSRD apply to?

As of 2026, CSRD applies to EU-based companies with more than 1,000 employees AND over €450 million in net turnover. The 2025 Omnibus Package narrowed the original scope significantly, but the large enterprises already in scope continue their supply-chain due diligence — and the requests to suppliers haven’t stopped.

How the request reaches a Korean supplier

There are two main pathways.

Path 1: Direct request from a European buyer

European prime → Korean supplier, asking for ESG documentation directly.

Typical formats:

  • A request to register on EcoVadis
  • A request for VSME-aligned data
  • A Supplier Code of Conduct sign-off
  • A specific data request: GHG emissions, energy use, headcount, etc.

This is most common in industrial machinery, electronic components, medical devices, chemicals/materials, and textiles/apparel.

Path 2: Indirect, via a domestic prime

European prime → Korean prime (Samsung, Hyundai, LG, etc.) → tier-1 / tier-2 supplier (Korean SMEs)

When Korean conglomerates receive ESG due-diligence requirements from their European customers, they cascade the same requirements to their own supplier base. Suppliers that don’t export to Europe directly still receive these requests through their domestic prime.

What happens if you ignore the request?

Failing to respond — or missing the deadline — typically plays out in one of these ways:

Loss of bid and contract opportunities European public procurement and large retail tenders use ESG scores as a gating criterion. A score below threshold means you’re disqualified before evaluation begins.

Pressure on existing relationships There are documented cases of European buyers telling long-term Korean suppliers, “If you’re not EcoVadis-registered by year-end, we can’t renew next year’s contract.”

Weakened pricing leverage Suppliers without an ESG management system are routinely flagged as “high-risk suppliers” — which translates to a worse position at the negotiating table.

Removal from domestic prime supplier rosters As Korean conglomerates tighten supply-chain ESG due diligence, suppliers below their internal ESG threshold are being delisted.

Why these requests are going to keep coming

Three structural reasons.

Reason 1: Regulatory loosening doesn’t reduce buyer demand

The 2025 Omnibus Package narrowed CSRD’s scope. But large enterprises already covered, plus voluntarily-disclosing companies, continue their supplier due diligence. Easing the rules at the top didn’t dial back what your customers ask of you.

Reason 2: Germany’s LkSG is a separate, parallel obligation

If you sell into Germany, the LkSG (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act) is its own thing — unaffected by CSRD changes. German enterprises (1,000+ employees) must manage human rights and environmental risk across their supply chain, and they do this in part by sending Korean suppliers their own questionnaires.

Reason 3: Domestic regulation is tightening too

Korea’s Ministry of Environment, Financial Services Commission, and Ministry of SMEs and Startups are all moving toward stronger SME ESG support and tighter requirements. Even if European requests stopped tomorrow, the case for ESG data management at home is strengthening independently.

What to do today

You don’t need an ESG team or deep framework knowledge to make useful progress today.

First — figure out exactly what’s being asked.

Re-read the request and identify:

  • Is it an EcoVadis registration?
  • Is it VSME-aligned data?
  • Is it a buyer-specific questionnaire?
  • Which items, by what deadline?

Second — find someone in your industry who’s been through it.

A peer in your sector who started exporting to Europe earlier is the fastest learning shortcut. KOTRA, the Korea International Trade Association, sector associations — these networks are the right starting point. A 30-minute conversation with someone who’s already responded to a similar request will save you weeks.

Third — locate your data internally.

The most-requested ESG data points are energy use, GHG emissions (Scope 1/2), and workforce metrics. Knowing today which department owns each of these — and who the named contact is — cuts your response time roughly in half when the next request arrives.

Coming next

The next post compares the three main formats your buyer might ask for: an EcoVadis assessment, VSME self-reporting, or a buyer-specific questionnaire. We’ll look at how they differ, who tends to use each, and where to start.

→ Episode 2: EcoVadis, VSME, or a Custom Buyer Survey — What’s the Difference?