Research on the Role of NGOs in Reducing Corporate Environmental Impact: Case Studies of Corporate Partnerships with WWF

We are currently facing serious environmental crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and natural destruction, with climate refugees already emerging and damage growing increasingly severe. One of the main causes of these crises is human production and consumption activities, with corporations at the center. This study explores how environmental NGOs can play a role in reducing corporate environmental impact, achieving sustainability goals, and preventing greenwashing through the case studies of corporate partnerships with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). By analyzing previous research, the study examines the types of relationships between NGOs and corporations and highlights the roles and limitations of NGOs in addressing environmental issues. WWF's corporate collaboration processes are analyzed, and global and domestic partnership cases—including Toyota, P&G, Coca-Cola, Citibank Korea, and E-Mart—are reviewed to shed light on the positive effects and limitations of NGO–corporate partnerships. While these partnerships significantly contribute to corporate environmental accountability, challenges including greenwashing, voluntary goal-setting limitations, and the need for long-term multilateral collaboration are identified. This study provides directions for building more effective and sustainable NGO–corporate collaboration models.