A photo exhibition of the Clean Arctic Project partnered by Norilsk Nickel was opened in Russia’s Federation Council. The most active participants in the Arctic environmental initiative, including the company, were commended at this event.
The exhibition was opened by Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Galina Karelova, according to a press release from the company. She noted the high state, corporate, and public involvement in the environmental Arctic agenda. “The Clean Arctic Project is becoming larger and more effective every year, attracting more and more people who are not indifferent to the problem of pollution of the Arctic territories. I am sure that with such a team of like-minded people, the project has a great future,” she said.
During the ceremony, the results of the project for the current year were summed up, as well as the presentation of official thanks to the participants and partners of the Clean Arctic Project. The awards were given to the most active participants, heads of regional headquarters and companies, with whose support volunteer expeditions were organized. The Norilsk Nickel team received a letter of thanks from the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic for their active participation in the Clean Arctic events. Andrey Grachev, Vice-President of Norilsk Nickel for Federal and Regional Programs, received gratitude to the company.
"Clean Arctic" is a major project to clean up the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation from accumulated waste. Since 2021, thousands of volunteers have been taking part in subbotniks and going on expeditions to preserve the unique natural conditions in the Arctic regions. In 2022, as of October, more than 3,000 volunteers who returned from dozens of expeditions removed over 3,000 tons of waste. Since the beginning of the implementation of the Clean Arctic project, more than 5,200 tons of waste have been collected in total.
Under the patronage of Norilsk Nickel, work is underway in two Arctic regions of the Russian Federation, where the company's assets are located - the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Murmansk Region. The company has formed a core of corporate volunteers who regularly take part in environmental events.
“As a result of systematic and consistent work, Nornickel, as a representative of a socially responsible business, in 2022 integrated the Clean Norilsk corporate project into the overall Clean Arctic initiative. It provides that by 2030, 2 million tons of waste and 600,000 tons of scrap metal will be removed in Norilsk, as well as 500 abandoned structures will be dismantled,” commented Andrey Grachev, Vice President of Norilsk Nickel for Federal and Regional Programs.
For reference
Since April 2021, Norilsk has launched a ten-year large-scale program for sanitary cleaning and improvement of industrial areas in Norilsk. The company allocated about 40 billion rubles for the implementation of this project. In February 2022, by the decision of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, the Clean Norilsk program became part of the Clean Arctic federal project.
Until 2030, Norilsk Nickel plans to dismantle 500 abandoned structures, remove 2 million tons of waste and 600,000 tons of scrap metal.
During the spring-summer season of 2021, almost 1 million square meters of land was cleared of garbage in the Norilsk industrial region. For the large-scale cleaning, the company created a specialized subdivision - an enterprise for the improvement of the territories of the Polar Division of Norilsk Nickel - with a staff of 756 people and purchased 124 units of specialized equipment.
In 2022, it is planned to dismantle about 100 objects, remove up to 400,000 tons of garbage and about 45,000 tons of scrap metal, and clean up to 2 million square meters of territories.
This year, the company plans to invest almost 6 billion rubles in the implementation of the activities within the Clean Norilsk Project.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
MMC Norilsk Nickel is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper. The company also produces cobalt, rhodium, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium and other products.
The production units of Norilsk Nickel Group are located at the Norilsk Industrial District, on the Kola Peninsula and Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia as well as in Finland.
MMC Norilsk Nickel shares are listed on the Moscow and on the Saint-Petersburg Stock Exchanges, ADRs are accepted for trading on the Saint-Petersburg Stock Exchange.
Norilsk Nickel fully supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The company considers social responsibility and commitment to the principles of sustainable development as one of the pillars of operational efficiency and business development. Nornickel seeks to continuously improve its activities in the areas of environmental protection, human rights, health and safety, environmental impact assessment, and biodiversity preservation. The company spent RUB 221.5 billion on SDG-linked projects in 2021.
Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished
