#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Moscow hosted the conference Challenges 2030. Regions’ Sustainable Development organized by the Russian Managers Association. The event was attended by regions and Russian and international companies’ heads including Nornickel’s representatives.
The specialists discussed how to maintain the sustainable development’s priorities and find a balance between environmental, social, economic issues and the corporate governance’s direction in the current conditions of global instability.
Successful environmental and social projects in the regions, investor attraction programs and the experience of interaction between various companies and regional authorities were at the center of the discussion.
The Nornickel’s vice president for investor relations and sustainable development Vladimir Zhukov told about Company’s flagship projects to support the regions of presence during the plenary session:
“The first of these projects is the Norilsk renovation program until 2035 with a total funding of 120 billion rubles, more than 80 of which are the Company’s contribution. This is a unique example of a public-private partnership involving a company, federal and regional authorities. Another flagship project is our environmental program that started in 2013 and has already begun to bear visible results., We have reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 90 percent on the Kola peninsula. A large-scale modernization program and the Sulfur Project’s construction are underway in Norilsk. We expect a 90 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions in Norilsk after its completion”.
Vladimir Zhukov also spoke about interaction with indigenous peoples:
“Nornickel has historically provided active support to indigenous communities, but now cooperation has reached a new level. We entered into a five-year agreement with a funding volume of two billion rubles two years ago which was based on communities’ needs and requests”.
Nornickel’s regional programs’ head Vasily Zaharov touched upon the same topic during the round table discussion Sustainable Development of the Northern Indigenous Minorities. He spoke about the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) procedure and its application in the Taimyr region in the Tuhard village:
“One of the main instruments of interaction with indigenous peoples according to UN standards is the FPIC procedure. When a company is planning a project in an indigenous area, it must coordinate its actions with local communities in advance. We have been discussing the Tuhard inhabitants’ resettlement with the indigenous people and involved experts for five months. It took so long for the indigenous people to develop the principles and conditions under which they give the company consent to the resettlement”.
The forum also hosted a solemn ceremony of presenting the award For Contribution to the ESG Development in Russia. Nornickel’s senior vice president Larisa Zelkova became the winner in the nomination For Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth, Full Employment and Decent Work for All, and Polar transportation branch’s director Aleksey Novakov received high praise from the organizers for the company’s activities to ensure the continuous operation of the port Dudinka.
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Text: Ekaterina Elkanova. Photo: the Nornickel's press service
