MMK’s Head of ESG Speaks about the Plant’s Investments in Magnitogorsk
Yaroslava Vrubel, Head of ESG at PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, has taken part in the 6th Baikal Risk Forum, held in Irkutsk on 12-16 September. She spoke at the ‘Sustainable Development. Coordination with the Territories of Presence’ section, where in her presentation entitled ‘From an industrial centre to a city for life: MMK’s contribution to Magnitogorsk,’ she outlined how the company is improving quality of life in the city, and the campaigns it has held for residents of the region.
The development of Magnitogorsk is one of the Company’s key areas for the community’s sustainable development activities, and is integrated into MMK’s current strategy. The Company strives to provide comfortable conditions for the residents of Magnitogorsk and neighbouring regions, a large share of whom are its employees and members of their families. MMK plays an active role in the improvement of the city and generally plans its activities, including those related to environmental protection and preservation, through its programmes to develop urban infrastructure in close cooperation with local residents and the city’s administration.
In addition, the plant actively engages in community projects. “In the first half of 2022, MMK continued to implement its social policy and invested approximately RUB 1.5 billion in community programmes across three main areas: social benefits and guarantees for employees; charity programmes to support veterans, mothers and large families, through the Metallurgist Charity Fund; and developing the area, including investing in cultural, sports, and healthcare facilities,” Yaroslava Vrubel said.
She noted that in 2021 MMK Group allocated RUB 1.2 billion to charitable programmes and supporting community facilities in Magnitogorsk. The Company’s investments were spent on creating modern, high-quality and comfortable infrastructure for employees and residents of the city, as well as on direct financial support to people in need, and on improving their well-being.
One of the most notable recent projects in Magnitogorsk was the opening of the first phase of the ‘Attraction’ Park. This large-scale initiative to transform the urban environment was launched and financed by Viktor Rashnikov, Chairman of the MMK Board of Directors. “Without a doubt, the ‘Attraction’ park is a large infrastructure project that can influence many processes in the city, such as the creation of new jobs, new prospects for the city, and new opportunities for its residents,” MMK’s Head of ESG noted.
The Company’s latest area of work is related to educating and raising awareness among employees and residents of the city about sustainable development in general, its goals, and how anyone can make their contribution. As Yaroslava Vrubel said, an educational course for a wide audience was developed in 2021, and a second group of students should start the course this autumn.
Participants of the forum, which included representatives from Russia’s largest companies, discussed the role of business in empowering the regions where they operate and promoting a culture of social engagement, cooperation between business and public environmental associations in creating tools for raising awareness about the environment, as well as communication solutions when working with local communities.