Environmental Strategy

GRI 2-23

In 2022, the Company’s Management Board approved Russian Railways’ Environmental Strategy through 2030 with an outlook through 2035.

Target greenhouse gas emissions per unit of workTarget values depend on the forecast consumption of fuel and energy resources and can be revised in accordance with Russian Railways’ Energy Strategy through 2030 with an outlook through 2035., kg of CO2 equivalent / 10,000 gross virtual tkm
Target air pollutant emissions from stationary sourcesEmissions from stationary sources do not include emissions from shunting and mainline locomotives, special self-propelled rolling stock and other mobile equipment, including idling operation. These emissions are treated as coming from mobile sources. Targets may be revised in case of changes in the procedure for assessing air pollutant emissions., t

The Environmental Strategy focuses on four priority areas

Environmental Strategy targetsThe baseline year is 2019 as it came before the COVID-19 pandemic and was representative in terms of the key economic and environmental performance metrics. Change in targets is with reference to the 2019 level.

The Environmental Strategy provides for a conservative and an innovative scenario, depending on which the targets will be met. Under the conservative scenario, the Company’s transportation volumes will grow at a relatively low average annual rate (+0.8%), while the innovative scenario assumes growth at a higher rate (+2%).

Target water useTargets may change reflecting updates to the 2030 Development Plan for the Heat and Water Supply and Wastewater Discharge System., mcm
Target wastewater discharge on land and into surface water bodiesGiven the same financing conditions., mcm
Target share of production and consumption waste sent to landfills,Given the same financing conditions. %
Number of eliminated units with accumulated environmental damage (on an accrual basis)
Share of managers and office workers who have not completed mandatory training in environmental protection programmes on time, %

Key environmental initiatives in 2022

  • Purchased 602 modern traction rolling stock units with improved environmental performance.
  • Transitioned 16 boilers to alternative heat supply sources, including 12 shifting from coal to electric heating, three from fuel oil to electricity, and one more from diesel fuel to gas.
  • Commissioned five treatment facilities, including reconstruction of a major treatment plant (Solvychegodsk station) with an annual capacity of more than 1 mcm.
  • Ensured transition to a new waste management system for waste of hazard classes 1–2, including registration with the national system of accounting and control for the management of wastes of hazard classes 1–2, held extended webinars involving the federal operator.
  • Installed 26 reverse vending machines to collect plastic bottles and aluminium cans at 17 railway stations.
  • Launched a facility to process industrial rubber products at the Tulun station of the East Siberian Railway.
  • Purchased equipment to support operations of the industrial environmental laboratories.
  • Took care of 21 sites of accumulated environmental damage, including engineering surveys undertaken with respect to 16 sites.
Environmental excellence awards

In 2022, Russian Railways won the following awards:

  • Vernadsky National Environmental Award in the Sustainable Business category;
  • All-Russia Environmental Leader Award 2022 in the Digital Environment Projects category;
  • Reliable Partner – Environment, a contest for the nation’s best environmental practices, in the Best Ecotourism Project category.
70 Russian Railways’ volunteers
took part in the Black Sea Clean Beach campaign
>200 railway workers
supported a call for charity donations at the Let’s Help Together fundraising platform to plant the trees.
>5 km
of coastaline was cleaned by volunteers in the Lazarevsky district in the autumn of 2022.
Black Sea’s Clean Shores

The event took place in October 2022 in Sochi’s Lazorevsky District and was dedicated to the International Black Sea Day celebrates each 31 October.

The volunteers cleaned more than 5 km of coastline from unauthorised dumps and garbage remaining after the summer season, and did a clean-up after the disaster that occurred in the Lazorevsky District in autumn 2022.

They also participated in restoring a footbridge over the Tsuskhvadzh river destroyed during a summer rain storm: they renovated the deck and painted the railing.

In addition, WEARETOGETHER Volunteers Walk was inaugurated with 70 young trees planted.

Children’s health resort Express received a unique art piece and a gift certificate to build a sports centre.