On 8 October 2020, Polyus was pleased to participate in the Natural Resources Forum’s ESG conference, Challenges and Opportunities in the Mining Sector — Company Case Studies, which looked to identify the main opportunities and barriers companies in the extractives sector are facing while aiming to operate in a more sustainable manner.
Victor Drozdov, Head of Business Communications and Investor Relations at Polyus, joined fellow speakers Tania Tchadaeva from Polymetal International, and Mark Child from Condor Gold in a panel discussion chaired by Thomas Hoskyns, Editor of Mining Journal.
At the panel, Victor highlighted the following key points:
- Incorporating sustainability principles into Polyus’ business strategy simply makes good business sense. It has helped the company to reduce costs and improve community relations — critical to the company’s ability to operate successfully long-term.
- The impact of Covid-19 has this year cemented employee and community health and safety as a key priority. Polyus was quick to respond to the crisis — running testing initiatives and investing into the local healthcare services in the regions where the company operates, the benefits of which will long outlast the pandemic.
- Climate change and decarbonisation is a key area of focus for ESG stakeholders, and a priority for Polyus, which in 2020 has been developing its Climate Change Strategy. Polyus intends to increase its use of renewable energy at its operations — in particular hydropower.
- Improved ESG ratings should reflect improvement in overall sustainability performance. Polyus’ primary objective is to deliver tangible, lasting benefits to the communities where the company operates, rather than improving the business’ ESG credentials superficially to improve its attractiveness to investors.
Commenting on his participation in the conference, Victor Drozdov, said:“I was delighted to be able to participate in ESG Mining Week hosted by the NRF. It’s really important that the industry comes together regularly to discuss how we can jointly take the sector forward to significantly improve its performance in all areas of sustainable development. Polyus aspires to be a leader in responsible mining and we are proud of the substantial progress over many years. We are always keen to exchange ideas and experiences with our mining peers and other industry stakeholders.”
The full webinar is available to watch on-demand at the following link:
https://naturalresourcesforum.com/companies/esgweek-day4-panel1/