Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee held today a telephone conference with heads of Gazprom's subsidiaries. The conference was dedicated to the Day of Ecologist and the World Environment Day.

Vitaly Markelov congratulated the conference participants with the special events and emphasized that the Company's environmental protection activities were becoming a matter of particular importance in 2013 - the Year of Ecology in Gazprom.

Since the beginning of the year the Company's subsidiaries have carried out some 900 campaigns, including those performed within the Action Plan for the Gazprom Year of Ecology and the complimentary ones.

In particular, the Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk team replanted trees across a site of 17 Ha as well as replanted over 67 thousand seedlings in the forest areas. Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky conducted several environmental campaigns and replanted some 11 thousand trees and shrubs, cleared a 49-hectare site with subsequent removal of over 40 tons of waste. Gazprom Transgaz Moscow and Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky arranged the pilot utilization of mobile compressor stations for gas withdrawal from the pipelines under repair. Gazprom Transgaz Yugorsk, Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy and Gazprom Transgaz Moscow held some regional environmental conferences.

Vitaly Markelov stressed that Gazprom continued its large-scale and diverse activities aimed at wider utilization of natural gas as a vehicle fuel across Russia. For large Russian cities the significance of these efforts may only be compared with the power sector conversion to natural gas between the 1970s and 1980s.

The Company's Eastern Gas Program also has some important social and environmental aspects. Gazprom managed to significantly bring down air emissions in Primorye and Kamchatka, including twofold in Vladivostok due to the conversion of boiler houses to natural gas. All these actions have a positive effect on the living conditions and health of people.

"Gazprom not only strictly follows the environmental legislation, but also undertakes the voluntary obligations to protect the environment. For example, Gazprom is the only Russian company to have its own Environmental Inspectorate.

Our goal is to remain as an example of the environmental friendliness wherever we are," said Vitaly Markelov.

The telephone conference participants addressed the issues related to future activities within the Year of Ecology.

The results of the 2012 annual contests for The Best Environmental Service of Gazprom and The Best Ecologist of Gazprom were announced during the telephone conference. The environmental service of Gazprom Transgaz Samara won the first contest. The following employees were recognized as the best ecologists: Nadezhda Boyarchuk (Ecological and Analytical Center for the Gas Industry), Natalia Butusova (Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky) and Tatyana Priymak (Gazprom Transgaz Samara).

Background

The World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The event was established at the 27th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. The General Assembly appealed to the UN members and organizations to carry out activities confirming their aspiration for preserving and improving the environment on June 5 every year.

The Day of Ecologist is a professional holiday of all Russian protectors of nature and environmental specialists. It was established by a Decree of the President of the Russian Federation in 2007.

2013 is declared to be the Year of Ecology in Gazprom. The corresponding plan approved in December 2012 provides for more than 1,200 events: from the introduction of innovative technologies at gas production and transmission facilities for mitigating environmental impacts to educational campaigns and support to specially protected natural areas.

The state-run Eastern Gas Program was approved by the September 2007 Order of the Russian Industry and Energy Ministry. Gazprom was appointed by the Russian Government as the Program execution coordinator.

In 2013 Gazprom continues the work aimed at bringing the Russian NGV market to a totally new level. The Russian Regions Gasification Program as well as all agreements signed with the Russian constituent entities contain a mandatory section regarding the development of regional NGV markets. The Gasification Program anticipates that in 2013 RUB 1 billion will be channeled to the construction of new CNG filling stations and the conversion of vehicles to natural gas.

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