PJSC Sberbank : Sber and SDS-Ugol agree to cooperate on ESG

Sber and SDS-Ugol concluded an agreement on cooperation in the area of ESG in the framework of Russian Energy Week. Sberbank Vice President and Director of Key Clients Lending Olga Kharlamova and SDS-Ugol CEO Gennady Alekseev signed the document.

Under the agreement, the parties will collaborate in the following areas: identifying environmental risks, improving the quality of ESG risk reduction and management, implementing cutting-edge technology to mitigate the negative impact on the environment, improving the enterprise's environmental management processes, augmenting the rational use of water, increasing the amount of waste sent for recycling, implementing the principles of the circular economy, improving the quality of life of people in the region through social projects, etc.

Sber and SDS-Ugol also plan to raise awareness among the business community about methods of monitoring environmental performance in the implementation of investment projects and best practices in the field of ESG transformation and modern technology application.

Olga Kharlamova, vice president, director of Key Clients Lending, Sberbank:

"We have been cooperating with SDS-Ugol Group for almost 15 years, providing our partner with classic banking products and, over the last few years, services by the Sber ecosystem. We are now also working on ESG, a highly relevant and important topic. Sber is a leader in this area in Russia, and our task is to raise awareness about ESG principles and best practices and motivate companies to adhere to them. Sber has already signed a number of ESG cooperation agreements with leading Russian companies, and we are pleased to announce that we have signed one with SDS-Ugol, one of Russia's largest coal exporters."

Gennady Alekseev, CEO, SDS-Ugol:

"SDS-Ugol's mission is founded on the basic principles of sustainable development. In our work, we rely on the principles of safe labor, environmental management, and our employees' professionalism and enthusiasm. We carry out systematic work to improve corporate practices based on global best ESG practices. We will continue to adhere to this strategy in our collaboration with our long-time partner Sber."