12 October 2022
The English version of the MCUR Digest (MGIMO Centre for Sustainable Development and ESG Transformation) is a regular information source accumulating the main Russian news in the sphere of sustainable development and ESG transformation, responsible finance and climate agenda.
This special issue is focused on the latest news in ESG infrastructure development, sustainability strategies of the Russian regions and education for sustainable development that were in the spotlight in Russia in June-August 2022. The originals of the news are available via active links in the text.
In this issue:
National ESG infrastructure is under development: green standards for real estate, ESG index of the cities and special economic zones strategies
Discussion on the forms of ecological education: view from Deputy Prime Minister V.A.Abramchenko
MGIMO students, post-graduates and teachers in educational sustainable development projects
ESG Infrastructure and Sustainable Development on the Russian Regions
Green real estate standards play an important role in the Russian ESG infrastructure. A green standard for apartment buildings, developed by DOM.RF, was presented at the session titled «Sustainable Development of the Construction Industry» at the «2022 Russian PPP Week». The Ministry of Construction and DOM.RF also announced a national standard for green construction of individual and low-rise housing. As for non-residential real estate, in August it became known that the Association for the Sustainable Development of the Commercial Real Estate Market will be established, and the methodology of green certification of buildings was presented for public discussion.
Much attention is paid to the sustainable development of Russian regions and cities. For example, VEB.RF has announced that in January 2023, an ESG index of 200 Russian cities will be launched. The authorities of the Nizhny Novgorod region, having cooperated with Sber since 2021, signed an agreement on ESG agenda, and they plan to issue ESG recommendations that will address 6,000 companies.
ESG transformation is also taking place in special economic zones (SEZ), for which the Ministry of Economic Development has introduced a Standard for disclosure of non-financial information, which consists of 77 indicators. Several SEZs announced the development of an ESG strategy by the end of 2022. Among these zones are, for example, Technopolis Moscow and Titanium Valley. St. Petersburg SEZ, in turn, already published its strategy in July 2022.
To systematize the work in this sphere, the ESG Alliance has started work on an «Atlas of the ESG ecosystem». The Atlas will comprehensively illustrate the entire national ESG infrastructure. The platform is crowdsourced, and in order to join the project, the company needs to fill out a questionnaire.
Other news on the topic:
16.06.2022 Russia and Southeast Asian Countries Will Create a Joint ESG Platform
16.06.2022 Sber Will Help the Orenburg Region to Undergo ESG Transformation
04.07.2022 Yekaterinburg Authorities Will Include ESG Agenda in The Updated Strategic Plan
04.07.2022 The Non-Financial Reporting Council Has Started Work in a New Format
19.07.2022 VEB.RF Notes Persistent Demand for ESG Tools in Russia
21.07.2022 ESG Audit of Special Zones Will Be Conducted in Bashkiria
25.07.2022 ESG Assessment of Russian Cities Means New Conditions and New Challenges
12.08.2022 Rosselkhozbank Has Compiled an Agricultural ESG rating of Russian Regions
26.08.2022 Rosselkhozbank Experts Estimate That by 2030 About 30% of New Buildings in Russia Will Be «Green»
30.08.2022 Sber to Create an Interactive Ecological Map of the Chernozem Region
Education for Sustainable Development and ESG Transformation
The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation has proposed to introduce environmental lessons at schools and kindergartens. Victoria Abramchenko, Deputy Prime Minister, criticized this proposal and called for increasing environmental literacy by setting personal example. «We have already tried to introduce special educational programs in schools, but it turned out to be a very cumbersome task. It was not possible to change educational standards, to introduce special tracks on environmental education there. I do welcome individual initiatives which promote an eco-friendly lifestyle among schoolchildren, but it will not be possible to introduce ecological culture into schools by state directives,» Deputy Prime Minister said at the Ecosystem and Sustainable Development Youth Ecological Forum in the Vologda region. The second stage of the forum titled «The Ecosystem and Protected Areas» started on August 29 in the Kamchatka Krai. MGIMO ecology students took an active part in the forum.
In July-August, at the Sber Summer Digital School, one hundred university and college teachers underwent advanced training on sustainable development. The topics of the training were: environmental and climate agenda management; social agenda management; ESG in risk management; ESG transformation; sustainable communication and thinking; disclosure of non-financial information and ESG data management. The last topic was presented by employees of the ESG Directorate of Sber, graduates of the Department of Integrated International Ecological Problems and Wildlife Management of MGIMO Ekaterina Tereshchenko and Sofia Denisova.
Other news on the topic:
02.06.2022 Waste Paper Collection Has Become a Trend Among Young People in Russia
07.07.2022 Russian Ecological Operator Summed up the Results of the Tavrida Art School of Ecology
28.07.2022 Sustainable Energy Camp
29.07.2022 Earth Sciences Curriculum Association Work
29.08.2022 MGIMO — RSHU International Relations and Sustainable Development
Summer School
Useful materials:
105th anniversary of Nikita Nikolaevich Moiseev’s Birthday
«Ecology in the Modern World» Textbook
«Goal 7/13: The World of the Future is a World of Clean Energy!». An All—Russian Competition for Schoolchildren and Students
«OZILenyaysya» Eco-Festival — a Release by ZIL Cultural Center
Authors: Andrey Avramenko, Sofia Denisova
Editors-in-chief: Capitolina Tourbina
Translator: Stanislav Shurygin
Designer: Maria Bakhireva
Disclaimer: The point of view of the MGIMO Centre for Sustainable Development and ESG Transformation may differ from the opinions of the authors of the news cited in the analytical publication. All materials are for reference only, and the MCUR is not responsible for their implementation in practice. The links to news sources used in the compilation of the MCUR Digest are indicated in the text and are active only in online format. The Digest does not use external copyrighted materials or reproduce them. If you have any questions, please contact: mcur@inno.mgimo.ru.
The MCUR Digest is being issued as part of the implementation of the strategic academic leadership program «Priority 2030».
Department of International Complex Problems of Nature Management and Ecology
MGIMO Centre for Sustainable Development and ESG Transformation
