Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has been named one of the top ten most environmentally responsible metals and mining companies in Russia in 2019, according to a rating compiled by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia and the National Rating Agency. The company ranked particularly high in the environmental impact category, where it shared the second-fifth place.
WWF Russia has published its annual ratings since 2017. Their goal is to help reduce the burden on the environment and promote socially responsible business in Russia. The rating is based on an assessment of three components: the company’s environmental management, environmental impact, and disclosure of information. In 2019, 41 companies from the metals and mining sector were included in the rating.
In 2019 MMK took the tenth spot in the rating, but shared the second-fifth place in terms of environmental impact. The company’s high ranking in this category points to its effective implementation of new technologies, which allow the company to reduce its impact on the environment.
MMK devotes particular attention to improving the environmental friendliness of its production: the company’s expenses on environmental projects will amount to over RUB 38 billion for the period 2018-2025. Some of these projects have already proven their effectiveness: for example, thanks to the latest environmental technologies at sintering plant No. 5, which was launched in July, the company by November was able to cut dust emissions by half, sulfur dioxide 4-fold, and benzapyrene 16-fold.
In 2019 Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources removed Magnitogorsk from the list of cities with the most polluted air. Over the past few years, the comprehensive atmospheric pollution index in the city has been reduced nearly by half: from 13.4 in the first nine months of 2017 to 7.62 in the same period in 2019. According to Victor Rashnikov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MMK, the company is close to achieving its strategic goal: to reduce the index in Magnitogorsk to 5 units, which corresponds to the definition of a “Clean City”. (MMK/Ukrainian metal)
