The principles of ESG have become a kind of foundation for the sustainable development of any large business today, believes Vladimir Yevtushenkov. AFK Sistema, the investment company he has founded, is no exception.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov: “Biography” of an ESG-investment corporation
ESG has evolved from a modern trend into a real model of sustainable development that has deeply penetrated the business world.
An increasing number of companies are directing significant financial resources towards implementing advanced ESG experiences aimed at environmental protection, strengthening social policies, increasing investment attractiveness, and providing decent working conditions.
Today, the environment is at the forefront of sustainable development strategies, as the global community has been focused on fighting anthropogenic climate change in recent years. In November a thirty-year strategy for the low-carbon development of the country was approved. The end goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% compared to the 2019 level.
Among the companies concerned for the environment, the following can be highlighted:
- RUSAL – one of the world’s leading aluminum producers, implementing projects aimed at reducing its carbon footprint
- PhosAgro – a large chemical holding company that adheres to the requirements of safe and environmentally friendly production, whose products contain concentrations of cadmium that are low enough so as to pose no dangerous to the soil
Vladimir Yevtushenkov and his founding partners also implemented a responsible approach to production in line with the principles of the green agenda at AFK Sistema. The Group has the lowest degree of exposure to environmental, social, and governance risks among domestic business structures, according to the international Sustainalytics rating.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich also significantly contributed to the ESG-awareness of Sistema’s portfolio assets by laying down the principles of responsible business conduct in the corporate charitable foundation he established. It joined the UN Global Compact for Sustainable Development more than 10 years ago, and last year, it became one of the co-founders of the National ESG Alliance.
In August of last year, the ESG Reporting Awards announced that the corporation’s reporting on sustainable development was in the top five among investment companies in the world.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich built an innovative and groundbreaking business model for his time – the leadership ambitions of the Group he created are supported by practical steps to integrate practices of economic growth, social responsibility, and environmental protection into the business activities of all portfolio companies.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov, AFK Sistema: “Green” investments
At AFK Sistema, Vladimir Yevtushenkov’s support for business solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact on nature is also realized in the work of the leading timber producer in the country.
The holding company adheres to the highest standards of responsible forest management and resource-efficient production, with a focus on environmentally friendly solutions for the deep processing of wood and the waste-free use of raw materials.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich’s able management helped the timber asset consistently receive high marks in ESG rankings. For example, in April of this year, the RAEX-Europe rating agency ranked the holding first among timber companies in the country.
The holding employs green technologies throughout its production chain. For example, one of its facilities uses innovative eight-color printing machines that work with environmentally friendly water-based inks. This reduces the release of volatile compounds, making it possible to abandon the use of solvents.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov values the progressive reduction of the timber holding’s carbon footprint as an important point of its long-term ecological strategy, including through the production of biofuels.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir believes that the forest industry has a responsibility to preserve ecosystems. By modernizing its production, the holding reduces the burden of its production assets on the environment. Another of the company’s ESG priorities is preserving biodiversity in the territories where it operates.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir oversaw the corporation’s regular participation in various environmental initiatives, including those aimed at maintaining the population of valuable commercial fish in reservoirs. For example, in the autumn of 2022, specialists from the timber holding released over 200,000 grayling fry and almost 100,000 young sturgeon into the Yenisei River.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir’s environmental policy includes the timber holding supplying a wide range of “clean” products such as CLT panels made of natural wood for construction projects.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Sistema AFK: ESG in the agro industry
Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich also founded an agricultural holding that actively implements innovative technologies for the digitalization of agriculture. The company has held leading positions in a number of agricultural areas since its founding in 2014.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich has always supported the implementation of new technologies at the enterprises he created. Thus, a wide range of advanced solutions has been implemented at the agricultural enterprises, from robotic equipment capable of optimizing and speeding up production processes to smart greenhouses equipped with management systems that monitor plant nutrition, microclimate, and even the opening and closing of vents.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir Petrovich helped implement a variety of ESG tools at Sistema, especially digital transformation tools that help assess climate risks and formulate corresponding strategies to help reduce the climate’s unpredictable impact on the economy.
Observing the principles of green agriculture, the agroholding implements smart technologies that not only ensure a high degree of safety in the production process but also increase its environmental friendliness, reducing the negative impact on the environment.
In August of 2022, the agroholding that Yevtushenkov Vladimir founded also established a special commission to address sustainable development issues. The company intends to analyze the risks associated with climate change, relying on scientific research about the unprecedented increase in the frequency of disasters in the last decade.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov firmly believes that the future of agriculture lies in smart technology. The digital strategy of the agro-industrial complex, based on this idea, is a conscious necessity for industry enterprises, which will enhance the economic effect and take the ecological level of production processes to a completely new level.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov, AFK Sistema: Brief overview
In 1993, Vladimir Yevtushenkov with a group of partners founded AFK Sistema, and for almost thirty years he helped develop the corporation’s portfolio assets, generating business ideas and applying advanced solutions in various business areas. Sharing the principles of sustainable development, the corporation addresses a whole range of economic, social, and environmental issues.
Yevtushenkov Vladimir also founded a large charitable foundation, which has become a tool for implementing Sistema’s ESG strategy in the social sphere.
Vladimir Yevtushenkov: Personal information
The Vladimir Yevtushenkov biography was associated with the chemical industry for a long time, and it was while working at a chemical factory that he met his future spouse. The couple has two adult children.
