Yaroslava Vrubel, Head of PJSC MMK for Sustainable Development, who represented the company at the forum, emphasized that the implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the MMK Group is not a separate project or even a set of goals, but an approach that corresponds to the entire work of the Group's companies. According to the corporate Development Strategy updated in 2020, sustainable development encompasses three strategic initiatives: achieving the Zero Injury goal, creating a corporate culture of opportunity, and ensuring low-carbon and green production.
The company notes that in the field of ecology, an important goal for MMK is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. After assessing and verifying direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, the company set a goal to reduce gross carbon dioxide (СО₂) emissions by 2.2 million tons by 2025, and specific emissions to 1.8 tons of CO₂-eq. per ton of steel (below the world average of 1.82 tonnes of CO₂-eq.). According to Pavel Shilyaev, General Director of PJSC MMK, “the updated strategy of MMK provides for a significant reduction in specific CO₂ emissions per ton of steel. In addition, we are going to drastically reduce the level of emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and dust. Improving energy efficiency and continuing to modernize production facilities will help us achieve these goals. ”
MMK strives to ensure that its products contribute to solving the problems associated with climate change. This applies not only to improving the environmental friendliness of production, but also to the use of MMK products. For example, since 2018, more than 7,000 tons of rolled metal produced at MMK's 5000 mill has been shipped annually to Russian manufacturers of wind turbine towers. Thus, MMK contributes to the development of the renewable energy segment.
MMK's serious attitude to sustainable development and ESG issues has been confirmed by independent evaluations and joint work with international partners: for example, in 2020, the World Wildlife Fund (Russia) included MMK in the top 10 metallurgical companies in terms of transparency in the field of environmental responsibility. In September 2021, PJSC MMK signed a memorandum with the German company SMS group GmbH, under which the companies will cooperate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. MMK also signed a memorandum of cooperation with the energy concern Fortum: the company plans to use green energy produced by the Russian division of Fortum to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.
The V International Baikal Risk Forum (BRIF) in this held in Irkutsk on September 22-24. Its goals are to promote the principles of sustainable development in the regions of Siberia and the Far East, to draw the attention of business, government and society to modern challenges and threats, to work out joint solutions and find new opportunities for sustainable development.
