Insofar as Basic Element enterprises work across a number of industries which represent potentially high environmental risks, great attention is paid to environmental responsibility and, in particular, to combating climate change. Specific environmental targets and indicators will be included in strategic plans for all of Basic Element's enterprises, and all modernization programs encompass a strong ecological component.
Russian Aluminum has already invested around USD1 billion in environmental protection and will invest a further USD1.4 billion in implementing environmental programmes by 2013.
The procedure for implementing environmental programmes and modernising production is simple enough: the Company has identified key strategic directions to improve environmental indicators which to some extent apply to most businesses.
The first target is to comply with the limits for emissions into the atmosphere set by the countries where we operate.
The Company also supports initiatives to apply the best production practices and promote the establishment of a modern regulatory framework for the environmental production of aluminium and alumina in Russia.
UC RUSAL first began large-scale investment in the installation of modern equipment and implementing measures to protect the environment in the first half of 2000, immediately after the Company began acquiring new businesses.
About USD50 million has been spent on environmental activities at the Bratsk Smelter in the past six years, resulting in a 26% fall in emissions. Last year, the enterprise adopted a new investment programme which provides for a further investment of USD350 million. The project involves the installation of new gas treatment facilities, as well as point delivery of raw materials, which will significantly reduce dust emissions.
A similarly ambitious programme costing more than USD300 million is already nearing a successful completion at the Krasnoyarsk Smelter, where emissions have been reduced by a third.
In August 2007, the international certification body Det Norske Veritas (DNV) from Norway conducted an audit of the Aluminium Division and awarded an umbrella certificate to the Company and a series of the Division's enterprises saying that their environmental management systems complied with the requirements of the International Standard ISO 14001.
Glavstroy's environmental standards
Glavstroy pays particular attention to environmental protection when setting up new and modernising existing production facilities. Mospromstroymaterialy-Vyatka is a striking example of environmental protection in the timber industry. The company, which started work last summer, produces glued laminated wood, cut lengths of timber and fuel pellets. Its main product is glued laminated wood, which is used in the production of Europeanstandard windows at other Glavstroy factores.
The manufacturing technique for making the final product provides for the full utilisation of the raw materials and supplies. Part of the waste from production is processed and converted into fuel pellets, part is delivered to the factory's boiler room. The result is a highly efficient and environmentally friendly business.
Moreover, Mospromstroymaterialy-Vyatka has been certified by the SmartWood programme, a globally recognised "seal of quality" which shows that an enterprise complies with strict environmental and socioeconomic standards and also obliges it to meet stringent obligations to preserve timber resources.
Gaz Group reduces harmful emissions
In 2002, the Gorky Commercial Vehicle Plant established an Environmental Department under Sergey Tsymbal. The Department began implementing a series of environmental protection measures, and by this year, the Company's environmental policy was recognized as one of the best in Russia.
Every year, the enterprise's management sets targets to reduce harmful emissions into the environment by 7-10% compared to the previous year. In addition, each annual plan contains specific measures to reduce emissions.
Since 2002, the Company has introduced several projects. GAZ began to use new types of reagents in production which are easier to treat and purify and which cause less damage to the soil. A new disposal area was set aside to store and use waste in specially constructed concrete containers fitted with special waterproofing. The new facility can store the plant's waste for the next 25 years. In 2002, only 20% of the plant's waste was not recycled, but this year the figure is down to just 10%.
Ecological aspects of Imeretinskaya Riviera Project
In the framework of one of the biggest investment projects of Olympic development Imeretinskaya Riviera by Altius Development the ecological aspect set as a priority. Special stress was made on the implementation of safety ecological system in Sochi and integration the complex of environmental procedures to minimize construction influence on the ecological zone.
By request of Altius Development the Ecostandard company has conducted an independent analysis of the ecological situation around Imeretinskaya lowland (particularly, on the Olympic Village construction site). The habitat of the nested birds, the stops of migrant birds, the eco-fauna of existing reservoirs, and their protection zones were thoroughly evaluated. The recommendations received resulted in the basics of the project concept and in offer to create Green Corridor that are supposed to unite the existing reservoirs in the lowland parts of the territory into one ecological complex with big Dendropark.
