KEY CONCLUSIONS
Achieving ESG goals
(environmental, social and governance factors in managing a business) and
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a common cause for all generations
“The objective of the new
generation is to escalate matters – the ESG in our case. The task for those who are currently managing
the process is to organize a reasonable implementation of those messages to the
future the young people are spelling out,” Aleksey Kozlov Member of the
Management Board, Managing Director, SIBUR.
“We need a dialogue among
generations. The SDG is a common awareness. It is a society of conscience. It
is a common cause for all generations,” Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
“If we are talking about the
ESG, it is important for the process to involve not just shareholders, but
users, regulators, and governments as well,” Greg Abovsky Operating and
Financial Officer, Yandex.
“Five key reports of the
World Economic Forum are related to environmental issues,” Alexander Ivlev CIS
Managing Partner, Deputy Regional Accounts Leader for Central, Eastern and
Southeastern Europe & Central Asia, EY.
Russian needs to become one
of the drivers for reaching the SDG
“It is impossible to reach
the SDG without Russia. We sell the world’s purest phosphorus, pushing the
whole industry to change for the better, so that cadmium from fertilizers
does not get on our children's plates or contaminate soil and water. This
allows us to sell ourselves as an environmentally friendly fertilizer producer,
forming a Russian brand of healthy and environmentally friendly food,” Andrey
Guryev Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, PhosAgro.
“Russian companies have a
chance to stand out in terms of ESG. The G – corporate governance – has long
been of great importance for Russian companies. Improved governance after the
1998 crisis played the role of an investment multiplier and had a huge effect.
Adherence to ESG principles creates a basis for higher appreciation of Russian
companies,” Alexei Yakovitsky Global Chief Executive Officer, VTB Capital.
Russia’s leading companies
already stick to the SDG
“Leading companies are
already focused on sticking to the CSD,” Andrey Guryev Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman of the Management Board, PhosAgro.
“ESG issues are addressed at
all levels by all companies,” Christoph Schweizer Managing Director, Senior
Partner; Chairman, Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East, BCG.
“Our company has reduced gas
emissions. We have digitized all of its sources and manage them. Our practice
can be adopted by other companies,” Aleksey Kozlov Member of the Management
Board, Managing Director, SIBUR.
Consumers support ESG and
SDG through their demand
“Consumers are willing to
pay for properly produced goods in the food and cosmetics markets,” Christoph
Schweizer Managing Director, Senior Partner; Chairman, Central and Eastern
Europe and Middle East, BCG.
“People start investing in
healthy lifestyles, focusing on healthy eating. This is not a reaction to
advertising, but a conscious reorientation through information technology,”
Alexander Ivlev CIS Managing Partner, Deputy Regional Accounts Leader for
Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe & Central Asia, EY.
PROBLEMS
Discussion of SDG and ESG makes real social and economic problems fade
“I support a balanced
approach to sustainable development. We need to stop the rabid criticism that
happening in the world today. The SDG is the continuation of economic growth,
but it is also anthropogenesis – it is what we leave behind. We need to start
tackling these problems in a creative way,” Andrey Guryev Chief Executive
Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, PhosAgro.
“The next 20 years is + 2
billion people and +60% of food to what we now produce. We should think how to
solve this issue,” Andrey Guryev Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the
Management Board, PhosAgro.
The need to address SDG and
ESG issues is still not truly universally recognized
“Some business leaders
continue to just talk and do nothing to achieve the SDG,” Brian Pallas Founder,
Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, Opportunity Network.
“We are way behind in what
needs to be done on SDG. All of us – business, consumers, and legislators – are
all responsible for this," Brian Pallas Founder, Chairman of the
Management Board, Chief Executive Officer, Opportunity Network.
SOLUTIONS
To promote ESG ideas among
company executives as a crucial element of their success and the future of
their business
“Hundreds of studies say ESG
has a positive impact on value creation. This is the path companies should
follow,” Christoph Schweizer Managing Director, Senior Partner; Chairman,
Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East, BCG.
“The topic of ESG emerged
three years ago as a controversial element, and now it has become a significant
factor in terms of raising capital in a company, an investment multiplier,
because more and more foreign investors include ESG in their investment analysis.
Russian companies, including those involved in the natural resources segment,
cannot but address this in their activities,” Alexei Yakovitsky Global Chief
Executive Officer, VTB Capital.
“We are moving towards
making money through ESG. Companies that incorporate ESG into their strategy
gain a competitive advantage that will be translated into higher
capitalization,” Alexei Yakovitsky Global Chief Executive Officer, VTB Capital.
Focusing common efforts on
specific ESG issues
“We need specific, constructive
cases,” Tom Blackwell Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, EM.
“We are now focusing on the
final stage of waste disposal. Once this problem is resolved, society will be
able to see the problem of synthetic materials differently, because it is our
future. It is a significant saving of our resources,” Aleksey Kozlov Member of
the Management Board, Managing Director, SIBUR.
Push governments to sign the
hydrocarbon tax agreement
“A carbon tax is the most
effective way to reduce emissions, but it takes all governments to agree upon
it,” Brian Pallas Founder, Chairman of the Management Board, Chief Executive
Officer, Opportunity Network.
Enhance the role of science
and education in promoting SDG and ESG
“Science is of great
importance in everything that concerns the application of the young
generation’s ideas. It is important for the scientific community to pick up
these trends,” Aleksey Kozlov Member of the Management Board, Managing
Director, SIBUR.
“For seven years, our
company has been implementing programmes of education and training – from
schools to universities – and employment,” Andrey Guryev Chief Executive
Officer, Chairman of the Management Board, PhosAgro.
For more information, visit
the Roscongress Foundation's Information and Analytical System at roscongress.org/en.
