Our approach to sustainability

Over the years, Polyus has made significant progress in embedding sustainability across our operations. As a major enterprise, we must work responsibly to ensure that Polyus continues to create value for all of our stakeholders. This involves a commitment to developing our employees and protecting the broader communities where we operate as well as the natural environment.

Polyus bases its approach to sustainability – represented by corporate standards, principles, reporting and goals – on a set of important globally recognized standards that are relevant to our corporate profile.

The most important and universal of these are the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a business, we recognize the importance of all 17 SDGs, but prioritise the ten areas on which our business has the greatest impact. We set specific targets within these Goals, which can be found in our Sustainability Reporting.

Polyus’ priority SDGs are:

• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
• Goal 4: Quality Education
• Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 15: Life on land
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

From 2015 to 2022, Polyus was a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), a global organization in the mining and metals industry. Polyus continues to focus on adhering to the 10 ICMM principles in all aspects of its activities.

1. Ethical Business
2. Decision-Making
3. Human Rights
4. Risk Management
5. Health and Safety
6. Environmental Performance
7. Conservation of Biodiversity
8. Responsible Production
9. Social Performance
10. Stakeholder Engagement

Learn more about the ICMM’s Ten Mining Principles on the ICMM’s website here.

In its sustainable development practices, Polyus believes that it is important to follow the national priorities of the Russian Federation. The Company monitors its role in achieving the national development goals and implementing Russian national projects, with due regard for the National ESG Alliance’s standard, the Contribution of Businesses to Achieving the National Development Goals of the Russian Federation.

• Goal 1: Preservation of the population, health and wellbeing of people
• Goal 2: Opportunities for self-fulfillment and unlocking talent
• Goal 3: Comfortable and safe living environment
• Goal 4. Decent and effective jobs and successful enterprises
• Goal 5. Digital transformation

1. Sustainable growth and efficient management of environmental and social risks at each stage of the life cycle of an asset: exploration, engineering and design, production and processing, closure and rehabilitation.
2. Strong financial results while adhering to sustainability principles in our operations.
3. Achieving a zero injury rate through a world-class safety culture.
4. To be a reliable partner to all stakeholders, including local communities in our areas of operation, and maintain an open dialogue with all stakeholders, taking their interests into account when making decisions.
5. To cultivate a team of professionals committed to helping Polyus achieve leading industry positions while adhering to sustainability principles.

Our corporate Sustainability Management System (SMS) is part of the Company’s operating model and was developed in line with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards 1-8, the Sustainability Principles and Position Statements of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and other relevant national and international standards and guidelines.

To ensure effective and continuous management of sustainability-related issues, the SMS covers all key stages of the annual management cycle: from planning and goal-setting to managing improvements, as well as the whole life-cycle of the Company’s assets — from geological exploration to mine closure.

Fundamental to effective sustainability governance is the continuous management of environmental, social, and economic risks.

We manage sustainability risks as part of our corporate risk management system. Under the system, sustainability risks are regularly identified, assessed and monitored — both at Managing Company and BU/PS level.

Functional units identify and evaluate risks relevant to their activities, which are then consolidated at the Management Company level. The Company divides risks into strategic, operational, financial, legal, country and regional, and sustainability risks — HSE and ESG. All identified risk categories influence Polyus’ achievement of the strategic sustainability goals.

We aim to conduct business only with those supply chain partners that are fully compliant with national, regional and local legislation requirements and ready to share our values such as the avoidance of negative environmental impacts, creation of social benefits, focus on operational safety and respect for human rights. We have developed Supplier code of conduct to ensure that Group HSE standards are also met by all suppliers.

We recognise that a number of environmental and social issues faced by the business community, and in particular by Polyus, can be solved more efficiently through collaboration and joint action from all involved parties.

Therefore we work actively with a wide range of industrial associations and national and international advocacy organisations, including:

• Gornoye delo (‘Mining’ — a national association that promotes the mining industry)
• The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP; an independent, non-governmental organisation)
• The Russian Union of Gold Producers (a non-profit organisation)
• The National Association for Subsoil Examination (a non-profit partnership)
• The All-Russia Intersectoral Association of Employers — producers of nickel and precious metals (a trade union)
• The National ESG Alliance

Polyus seeks to be open and transparent, which is the essence of the Company’s approach to sustainability.

Polyus is committed to improving the transparency and openness of its ESG management activities for stakeholders. This is why the Company issues sustainability reports disclosing its key non-financial performance results every year.

In addition, Polyus publishes various subject-matter reports on the most important issues for its stakeholders. For example, in 2023 the Company published the Human Rights: Theory and Practice Report and the Report on Sustainability in the Regions of Polyus’ Operations.