Russian aluminium giant UC Rusal released its Sustainability Report for the year 2020 last week. The firm noted that, despite the massive challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rusal still made significant progress on its various sustainability goals.
On the community front, Rusal invested about ₽4 billion on several medical centers dedicated to fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The centers, which were located in Achinsk, Boguchansky, Bratsk, Krasnoturinsk, Sayanogorsk, Taishet, and Shelekhov, featured cutting-edge equipment for helping those infected with COVID-19 in ways that were previously unavailable to them.
Ecologically, Rusal’s practice since 2015 of releasing data on its greenhouse gases emissions led it to become one of the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) top companies in 2020. The year also saw Rusal launch inert anode cells at Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter, where aluminium with the smallest carbon footprint yet was produced last year.
Also in 2020, sales of Rusal’s low-carbon aluminium product ALLOW increased by 1.7 times. The firm used the increase in sales as a springboard to announce its Net Zero initiative earlier this year.
Rusal’s General Director Evgenii Nikitin said in a press release that his firm is positioning itself to lead a wider trend seen around the globe.
“The world is moving towards integrating ESG principles into a number of determining factors of business, so the basis of our strategic vision is social responsibility, the transition to a ‘green’ aluminium industry and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The desire for real sustainability is especially relevant at a time of global challenges and accelerated climate change. We believe that our work makes a real contribution to the global sustainable development.”
“In the conditions of production growth, industry around the world has a significant impact on the planet,” noted non-executive director Evgeny Shvarts. “Therefore, sustainable development and environmental responsibility play a crucial role in maintaining public confidence in business. In this regard, the RUSAL Sustainability Report clearly demonstrates what practical steps the Company has taken to reduce the anthropogenic load on ecosystems. The transparency of the information provided to society, the authorities, investors, and the media should constantly increase. It is only in this way that businesses will be able to earn trust and recognition.”