OREANDA-NEWS. December 13, 2012. The Gazprom headquarters hosted today a meeting dedicated to the Year of Ecology in Gazprom. Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee moderated the meeting and approved a respective Action Plan.

Taking part in the meeting were Amirkhan Amirkhanov, Acting Head of the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service, Nikolai Kasimov, First Vice President of the Russian Geographical Society and heads of Gazprom's subsidiaries and structural units.

“We declare 2013 the Year of Ecology in Gazprom. The Company will run more than 1,200 events: from introducing innovative technologies at gas production and transmission facilities for mitigating environmental impacts to educational campaigns and rendering support to specially protected natural areas. At least RUB 5.5 billion will be allocated for these purposes,” Alexey Miller said.

The majority of events in the frame of the Year of Ecology are connected to the introduction of breakthrough technologies enabling to mitigate environmental impacts. They include the conversion of about a thousand vehicles belonging to subsidiary companies to gas, the application of mobile compressor stations in gas trunklines overhaul, the installation of solar cells at gas production and transmission facilities to obtain electricity for own needs.

The 2013 Blue Corridor motor rally will be held with the support of foreign partners to popularize natural gas as the most environmentally friendly and economically attractive motor fuel.

As part of the Year of Ecology, Gazprom is planning to run educational and ecological campaigns across Russia. They will be organized by Gazprom and its subsidiary companies both independently and together with public and environmental organizations.


For instance, in 2013 familiarization tours to Gazprom's production facilities in Sakhalin, the Astrakhan Region and other areas will be held for media representatives, environmental organizations and general public. Gazprom Transgaz Moscow will hold an open day for the ecology students of Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas with a visit to the Volokolamskaya compressor station, as well as numerous ecological workshops, open lessons and children's drawing contests.

It is planned to plant more than 100 thousand trees, clear out and improve more than 2 thousand hectares of coastal areas, forest and urban territories, rehabilitate over 30 lakes, rivers and springs, render support to at least 40 specially protected natural areas of federal, regional and local significance.


Background

Gazprom is one of the major Russian nature users. The Company strictly follows the Russian legislation and international regulations. To perform these activities, Gazprom allots considerable funds and has highly professional personnel and technologies at its disposal.

The main requirements of the Russian legislation include regular environmental control and operational monitoring. It is conducted in all Gazprom Group companies.

All companies of the Group carry out environmental front-end engineering and design and the assessment of environmental effects of the planned business activities. When elaborating projects that might affect the interests of other countries, the environmental impact assessment is conducted in compliance with the International Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention).

Reports on environmental performance and taken measures are submitted by Gazprom to the Russian Federation executive authorities in due time.

Apart from work aimed at keeping up with environmental regulations, Gazprom undertakes voluntary obligations for environmental protection. They include the adoption of the Environmental Policy, introduction of the environmental management system, disclosure of environmental information in accordance with international standards, reduction of greenhouse gases emission .

Gazprom became one of the first Russian companies to adopt the Environmental Policy. The effective version of the document defines the underlying principles of the Company's business, i.e. rapid economic growth accompanied by maximal conservation of natural resources and preservation of a favorable natural environment for future generations (sustainable development).

According to the Environmental Policy, the strategic environmental goals may be achieved through introduction and maintenance of an effective environmental management system. This vertically integrated system created in Gazprom encompasses the environmental control bodies of the Company and of 28 subsidiaries engaged into gas production, transmission, underground storage and processing.

In 2011 the environmental management system of Gazprom was successfully certified in compliance with the requirements of the ISO 14001:2004 international standard. Det Norske Veritas, an independent certification body, conducted the audit. In October 2012 the compliance audit confirmed the accordance of the Gazprom environmental management system with the said standard.

In regard to environmental information disclosure, Gazprom has been releasing the annual Environmental Report for 17 years now. In 2010 the Company published its first Sustainability Report (for the period from 2008 through to 2009). The Annual Report of Gazprom includes environmental protection sections.

Gazprom's consistent efforts aimed at energy saving result in reducing the greenhouse gases emission. At present, the Company executes the Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program for 2011–2013 where the aggregate fuel and energy savings are anticipated to make 6.4 million tons of fuel equivalent.

In addition to the most common mechanisms of voluntary environmental commitments implementation, Gazprom undertakes the ecological liabilities that are unique for Russian companies. Thus, Gazprom is the only company in Russia that has the Environmental Inspectorate.

Moreover, Gazprom is the only Russian company that runs corporate environmental examination for each of its investment projects.