OREANDA-NEWS. October 24, 2011. The Board of Directors approved the Gazprom Environmental Policy and recommended that Gazprom Group companies apply it.
Background

Gazprom's activity has a strategic significance for the economy of Russia and other countries, affects the interests of millions of people. Environmental impacts made by the Company during its operations determine its responsibility to the society.

In 1995 Gazprom was one of the first Russian companies to adopt the Environmental Policy.

Pursuant to the document, the underlying principle of the Company's business is sustainable development construed as intense economic growth accompanied by maximal conservation of natural resources and preservation of a favorable natural environment for future generations.

The Company's long-term strategic goals in the environmental protection area are as follows:
— minimizing specific negative impacts on the natural environment;
— increasing the efficiency of non-renewable natural resource and energy utilization;
— involving all of the Company's personnel in the activities aimed at reducing environmental risks, improving the environmental management system and performance indicators in the environmental area.

As part of the Environmental Policy, specialized environmental structural units were set up in Gazprom and its subsidiary companies. In 2011 Gazprom finished the preparation of the Gazprom Environmental Management System for the ISO 14001 compliance certification.

The strategic environmental objectives are attained, inter alia, through implementation of comprehensive programs for reconstruction and re-equipment of production, transmissionand processingfacilities as well as energy savingprograms.

At the moment, the Gazprom Comprehensive Environmental Program to 2015 is awaiting approval. The Program will contain all the environmental actions.

According to the assumed obligations, Gazprom ensures transparency of its environmental information. Environmental reports are issues every year, in 2010 the first Sustainability Report was issued.