A Study on the Standardization of Audit for ESG Management of Government-funded Research Institutes

The standardization of audits for implementing ESG management in government-funded research institutes is an essential means to realize the core elements of ESG management: transparency and accountability. It also serves as a complementary tool for sustainable growth by ensuring objective evaluation of ESG management through audits. Therefore, audit standardization is a crucial component for achieving sustainable growth through ESG management. Government-funded research institutes can systematically manage and transparently disclose ESG management performance through audit standardization, thereby gaining the trust of various stakeholders, including the public. However, the current ESG management indicators of government-funded research institutes are limited to reflecting management evaluations, and the ALIO disclosure system provides only minimal information related to ESG management. Furthermore, starting in 2024, government-funded research institutes will no longer be subject to ALIO disclosures, eliminating even the minimal obligation for ESG disclosures, making the implementation of ESG management even more challenging. In this context, the role of audit departments in monitoring and managing ESG management is more critical than ever. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the current issues in the audit systems of government-funded research institutes and propose a standardized audit framework based on ESG management systems and an execution framework for audit standardization. This is expected to provide insights and contribute to the systematic adoption and operation of ESG management in government-funded research institutes.