At a press conference held on November 8 in the TASS building in Moscow, the Leaders of Responsible Business national award officially opened the application process which will last until December 16.
The award in the field of entrepreneurship is aimed at large Russian companies that adhere to the principles of responsible business practices and proactively disclose ESG information in non-financial reporting.
At the press conference, deputy prime minister of Russia Tatyana Golikova said that the purpose of the award is to promote the development of responsible business practices, increase the information openness of businesses, and create a favourable social and economic environment.
In turn, the chairman of the expert council of the award Andrei Bugrov noted that for Russian companies, participation in the award will serve as a tangible development incentive.
In his speech at the event, Norilsk Nickel’s first vice president Nikolay Utkin said that the company, which was one of the winners of the previous award, considers it extremely important to uphold obligations to employees even in difficult economic conditions.
"Even in the current situation amid turbulence and sanctions pressure, we, first of all, fulfil our social obligations, support all social projects in the regions where we operate, modernise existing capacities and introduce innovative technologies. We also have big plans here, we are not curtailing them and will improve the quality of life of residents," he added.
"We will certainly participate in the award next year."
Sustainable development experts, analysts and representatives of rating agencies are part of the expert council of the award. The results of the competition will be summarised by March 15, 2025, and the awards will be presented at the next congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in 2025.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
