Environmental protection

Russian Railways has drafted and is implementing an Environmental Responsibility Programme, approved a Concept for Environmental Protection Activities and an Environmental Protection Policy and has set strategic benchmarks for reducing the energy intensity of services and the negative environmental impact.

Total spending by the Company on environmental protection measures in 2016 amounted to RUB 5.2 bln, including RUB 3.1 mln in investments.

In 2016, the Company put 77 environmental protection facilities into operation and acquired 180 units of testing and measuring equipment for laboratories and one vehicle-based mobile environmental laboratory.

Air pollutant emissions from stationary sources decreased by 6,400 tonnes, or 8.7%, in 2016.

Water consumption fell by 8.9 mln m3 (9.4%) in 2016 to 86.12 mln m3.

The discharge of contaminated wastewater to the environment decreased by 2 mln m3, or 22%, to 6.9 mln m3 last year.

Russian Railways structural divisions generated 1.802 mln tonnes of production and consumption waste in 2016 with roughly 40% of that amount utilised and decontaminated by the Company’s divisions. In addition, 60% of the generated waste is given to third-party organisations with 28.4% transferred under consumption agreements and 71.6% under revenue agreements.

The Company’s structural divisions recycled 1,900 tonnes of paper, glass and plastic waste in 2016 as part of a separated waste collection project, producing an economic effect of RUB 6.5 mln.