REFERENCE
ESG is a set of tools for achieving sustainable development goals. Divided into three categories: E
ESG: to be or not to be?
Over the past 10 years, Russian companies have investedsignificant investment in the implementation of ESG principles at the heart of its activities. Analysts note that the growth of investments in improving environmental, social and managerial efficiency will continue in the future. Despite the many new challenges businesses face today, 70% of them remain committed to brand sustainability. The main explanation for this phenomenon is the demand of society and the market for the need to comply with the principles of environmental and social responsibility.
71% of participants in a consulting studyEdelman Centers are willing to drop brands that don't care about the social good. According to IDC, millennials and zoomers, whose purchasing power continues to grow, consider corporate social responsibility one of the decisive factors when choosing products.
Also today, business is expected not only to careabout its shareholders and employees, but also about the future of our planet. Companies are paying more and more attention to the loyalty and trust of their customers. As the last two years have shown, a trusted company is more likely to survive a crisis. To earn and maintain loyalty and trust, companies direct resources to create better products and services. For the same reason, businesses are shifting their focus towards social responsibility, ecology and charity.
Therefore, under the circumstances, it is notThe role of high-quality corporate governance and social responsibility of business is simply not decreasing, but only increasing. Whatever the circumstances, environmental and climatic factors also remain important.
In support of the growing public demand forIncreasingly strict regulations and requirements from government and public organizations are coming into force. Industrial enterprises note the close attention of regulatory authorities, non-profit organizations (NPOs) and the media. Negative environmental impacts can affect not only a company's reputation, but also lead to fines, lawsuits and sanctions from government agencies, including the suspension of operations and closure of the enterprise. In the area of increased attention are industries that are characterized by significant environmental pollution: energy, metallurgical and mining industries.
Another consequence is high ESG requirements forexport of products, established by law by the largest trading partners, including China, India, South Africa, Turkey, and the countries to which supplies of products are sent through their logistics channels.
A new reading of ESG in the industry
In addition to the public demand for complianceprinciples of environmental friendliness and social responsibility, ESG is an important element of the sustainable development of the enterprise itself (internal processes, employee performance and business as a whole).
The ESG paradigm has acquired new meanings in newconditions. ESG factors play a significant role both in solving current problems for business preservation (preservation of production, jobs, supply chains), and in the context of medium and long-term tasks to create the basis for further development and growth. Projects that are able to mitigate risks and establish sustainable business operations come to the fore. It is not for nothing that so much attention has recently been paid to energy efficiency, resource efficiency and cyclicality (the use of secondary material resources, recycling, turning waste into income). The national project "Ecology" and the socio-economic development initiative "Circular Economy" are aimed at supporting and developing the multi-purpose, continuous use of resources, including the fullest possible return of waste to the production cycle. We are talking about the introduction of cost-effective and environmentally effective innovations in the field of industrial waste - taking into account subsoil use in the Russian Federation, more than 8 billion tons of them are generated per year.
Investment in ESG to reduce costs
New challenges require the development and implementation of new technologies and methods that may be more effective than “traditional” approaches.
One example of improving energy efficiency,resource efficiency and cyclicality - the use of domestic reagents from plant raw materials based on biomicrogel technology, which help industrial enterprises reduce the cost of water purification by up to 1.5–3 times, as well as reduce energy costs and reduce the volume of waste transferred for disposal. In addition, the use of domestic technology reduces the risk of supply disruptions and dependence on foreign enterprises that stop their activities in the country due to sanctions pressure.
So, at one of the production sitesSeverstal, thanks to the use of a demulsifier based on biomicrogels, managed to reduce the amount of petroleum products in waste cutting fluids (cutting fluids) by 250 times and reduce the total volume of liquid waste to be disposed of by 80%. At the same time, it was possible to reduce the cost of processing by 2–3 times compared to traditional methods. In this case, the company was able not only to reduce financial costs and increase the efficiency of technical processes, but also to reduce the level of environmental pollution.
Another example at one of the Russian Railways facilities -locomotive depot - new standards of the city district administration obliged to reduce the concentration of petroleum products in wastewater by more than three times. During the repair and maintenance of rolling stock of diesel locomotives and cars, water is polluted with petroleum products, as well as mineral and organic suspended matter. The use of an innovative flocculant based on biomicrogel technology made it possible to meet regulatory requirements and bring economic benefits by reducing costs. In addition, the use of biomicrogels, among other things, allows Russian Railways to lead in high positions in ESG ratings within the framework of the established principles of sustainable development of the company.
Another example is at one of the leading domesticcoke production, as an alternative to traditional waste management methods, the Exerger™ wastewater treatment technology was introduced, which allows you to turn harmful and toxic industrial wastewater into distilled water. The method is based on the process of evaporation of a clean medium from a contaminated one, followed by condensation of steam. As a result, a high-quality distillate is formed, which can be used for the enterprise’s own needs or sold in the form of distilled water, sludge and crystalline salt. Thus, pilot tests at the production site showed that the Exerger™ technology ensured the treatment of wastewater after a biochemical unit (BCU) from most contaminants. Suspensions were removed almost completely, and the concentration of basic salts (chlorides, sulfates, nitrates) decreased significantly: for example, the concentration of nitrates decreased by 16 times, and the concentration of sulfates by 397! The final salt content in the distillate is significantly lower than the maximum permissible concentrations established by law. Thus, thanks to a set of Exerger™ solutions, enterprises can significantly reduce their water consumption or even achieve completely zero-waste production.
Driver of innovation economy
Sustainable development is a complex of responsiblethe relationship of business to society, nature, as well as the quality and transparency of management for employees and stakeholders. Now the main task of domestic companies in this direction is not to slow down and continue to develop their business, actively implementing the principles of sustainable development.
Involvement of large industrial enterprises inESG principles can become the main component of a company’s success and responsible business conduct, as well as a driver for creating an independent competitive innovative economy in Russia.
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