PRESS RELEASE

SIBUR and Polyus presented Russia's first methodological guide for businesses on biodiversity conservation

The methodological guide "10 Steps for Russian Business to Conserve Biodiversity" brings together the unique expertise of SIBUR and Polyus in this area. This document is a practical tool that will help other companies just beginning their work on biodiversity conservation build processes and develop a systematic approach to this topic.

At the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, SIBUR and Polyus signed a cooperation agreement on ecosystem and biodiversity conservation, one of the objectives of which was the creation of a methodological guide for businesses.

This guide is structured as a step-by-step manual and covers ten key steps—from determining the type of territory where the company operates to building a systematic management cycle. It helps businesses assess their dependencies on ecosystem services and their impact on biodiversity, assign a sensitivity level to a project, and select an appropriate set of actions. The methodology is based on international and national approaches: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kunming–Montreal Global Framework, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the TNFD recommendations, and GRI 101: Biodiversity, as well as Russian environmental legislation and the national project "Environmental Well-Being."

Since 2012, SIBUR has been monitoring biodiversity in natural areas adjacent to its facilities. The company has developed a comprehensive hierarchy of documents in this area: a Biodiversity Conservation Policy, which sets forth its commitments; a Sustainable Development Strategy to 2030, which integrates specific goals; and a Biodiversity Conservation Concept, which defines principles and establishes measurable indicators for tracking the success of projects. SIBUR also actively implements initiatives in environmental education and biodiversity conservation as part of its "Formula of Good Deeds" social investment program.

Thanks to a systematic approach, SIBUR has achieved results across a wide range of areas, including releasing 49 saker falcon chicks into the wild, creating Russia's first tracker for tracking bird migration, releasing over 5.6 million valuable porpoise fish fry into waterways, planting over 5 million trees, and launching 10 environmental education trails in four regions where it operates. In 2026, the company presented a report outlining all of its achievements in this area over the past year.

Nadezhda Galaktionova, Director of Sustainable Development at SIBUR:

"Biodiversity is a complex topic, challenging to understand and deliver meaningful results. It's not just about rare animals and nature reserves. For the company, it means the sustainability of the natural areas where we operate and the long-term sustainability of the business itself. Together with Polyus, we've compiled our experience into a practical roadmap—10 steps that help the company move from the initial screening of its practices to the systematic management of biodiversity conservation projects. We hope this tool will be useful to our colleagues and will enhance the effectiveness of our shared work to preserve ecosystems."

Polyus systematically monitors the flora and fauna around its facilities, restores forests, and replenishes aquatic bioresources. The area of ​​the company's nature reserves is more than 60 times larger than the area of ​​its assets. Separate projects are dedicated to the research and protection of endangered species, such as the Siberian spruce grouse and Allen's bighorn sheep.

Daria Grigorieva, Director of Sustainable Development at Polyus:

"We wanted this guide to be as practical as possible: not just explaining why biodiversity is important, but helping Russian businesses understand what they can do in practice. In it, we provide specific tools and approaches that can be adapted to the needs of any company. We would be especially valuable if the guide became a starting point for implementing new solutions and developing corporate practices in the country."

The presentation of the methodological guide was held at SIBUR's Moscow office, where a pitch session was also held on the potential application of the "10 Steps" in various areas. Experts discussed the guide's use for developing cooperation between companies, forming partnerships between businesses and specially protected natural areas, scaling up environmental projects, promoting educational activities, and developing Russian company ratings and rankings. The tool's significance in the context of strategic national priorities was also discussed.