In part 3 of our look at Hankook Tire, we understand their ecological vision…
As the global discourse around sustainability exerts increasing pressure on every facet of industry, motorsport is compelled to innovate in ways unimaginable a generation ago. For Hankook, this imperative is not a recent or passing concern. Long before the headlines heralded carbon neutrality and circular economies, the company began laying the groundwork for a deeply integrated, measurable environmental programme—one spanning from rubber plantations to the world’s most demanding race circuits.
Hankook’s E.Circle initiative, launched in the late 2010s, exemplifies this commitment. At its heart lies a quest for comprehensive, verifiable environmental stewardship: “We have big aspirations… we want to keep pushing and to really establish ourselves in a very strong positioning in forward motorsports,” Steven Cho declares, echoing the intention not just to compete, but to shape the future direction of the entire sector. As the brand publicly committed to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, a host of interim goals were set—reducing manufacturing emissions by 46.2% (scope 1 and 2), and securing a 27% reduction across the value chain by 2030, among others.
These ambitions are anything but hollow.
Hankook’s supply chains have been restructured to prioritise FSC® certification for sustainable rubber production; its factories are being converted for low-impact energy usage; even the tyre cords themselves are being reimagined — with a new generation made from chemically recycled PET and ISCC PLUS certified for circularity. Cho asserts, “We have to keep finding innovative solutions. Even if the tech doesn’t exist yet, that doesn’t mean we won’t find it in the future. When it comes to sustainability, we need to stay open-minded. Our goal is to produce tires that are not only durable and high-performing, but also responsibly recycled at the end of their life cycle.”
Where these efforts are perhaps most visible is in Hankook’s motorsport programmes. The Formula E supply contract, with its strict regulations on environmental compliance, became a laboratory for the brand’s green technology pipeline. But the challenge—and opportunity—of the WRC presented a different scale of complexity.
Underpinning all these developments is a story of adaptation and collaboration—not just within the company, but across the motorsport ecosystem. Rally teams, manufacturers, and governing bodies now participate directly in discussions about supply chain transparency and end-of-life processes. Cho observes, “Our goals are aligned… we all have the same target, all pulling in the same direction. When things don’t go perfectly, it’s an opportunity, right? How we collaborate with them, how we communicate with them—I think it was very constructive.” Dialogue and co-creation have become essential to the rapid progress on resource management, recycling logistics, and eco-design.
Such advances in sustainability are neither additive nor secondary to Hankook’s motorsport strategy.
They are integral, shaping R&D and business objectives in equal measure. “From everything that we’ve experienced over the first four rounds, it’s exceeded our expectations as far as the overall experience and the positive benefit that we see that we’re getting. And so, you know, we cannot foresee exactly what’s going to happen years down the road, because things happen, but from what I can see now, all our intentions are to support the championship for the long run.”
Yet, the future cannot be fully mapped. As Hankook invests further in junior categories, open championships, and experimental formats, it is clear that the brand’s trajectory will be shaped by constant negotiation—between technical ingenuity and environmental stewardship, speed and resilience, legacy and innovation. “We just want to know that, you know, we’re in the background developing our technology and supporting the show and helping to put on a good show for the fans around the world,” Cho concludes, signalling a quiet but resolute vision for motorsport: to remain not only in the race, but at the vanguard of what comes next.
| Year | Achievement/Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ISCC PLUS Certification (Geumsan plant) | First global tire manufacturer to receive ISCC PLUS for sustainable material sourcing and use . |
| 2022 | Sustainable Tire Milestone | Developed tires with 45% sustainable materials, initial mass production . |
| 2023 | ISCC PLUS Certification (European plant in Hungary) | Extended certification for sustainable production in Europe . |
| 2023 | GHG Emissions Reduction | Achieved a 12% decrease in Scope 1/2 emissions and 5% in Scope 3, vs. 2019. |
| 2024 | Net Zero Commitment | Target of 46.2% reduction in Scope 1/2 GHG by 2030; Net Zero by 2050 |
| 2024 | “World’s Most Sustainable Companies” | Named by TIME and Statista as a global sustainability leader. |
| 2024 | FIA 3-Star Environmental Accreditation | Highest motorsport sustainability certification. |
| 2024 | Winner, Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders | Recognized by Financial Times and Statista for climate leadership. |
| 2024 | Green Good Design Sustainability Awards | Won for iON GT tire and Upcycled Longboard . |
| 2025 | EV Tire Innovations | Mass production of tires with 77% sustainable materials for EVs .(iON GT). |
| 2025 | ‘Sustainable Concept Tire’ Unveiling | Advanced 3D printed tire using renewable/recycled materials . |
| Ongoing | Circular Economy Initiatives | Use of recycled PET, carbon black from pyrolysis oil, retreading, eco raw material sourcing. |
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