In 2023, Acron Group, a Russian vertically integrated producer of mineral fertilisers, invested RUB 3.1 billion in sustainable development, including environmental programmes, occupational and industrial safety, social and charitable efforts, and social and economic development of its footprint regions, up 12% year-on-year.
As an attractive employer and responsible taxpayer, Acron Group is committed to improving the quality of life of employees, their families, and local residents. Each year, it renews agreements with local authorities, investing in infrastructure, healthcare, education, cultural, art, and sports facilities and implementing social and charitable programmes aimed at supporting public organisations, social institutions, and communities. In the reporting year, Acron allocated RUB 779 million to support social and economic development and charitable programmes, up 38% year-on-year.
Social support for employees is a critical element of the Group’s sustainable development policy, including preventive healthcare, medical services, and insurance, professional training and career growth, promotion of sports and a healthy lifestyles, recruitment and retention of highly skilled employees, cooperation with educational institutions, and targeted social programmes. All Acron Group companies have collective agreements that offer extended social benefits to improve the quality of life of employees and their families, and support programmes for long-time employees and young specialists. In 2023, Acron invested a total of RUB 991 million in employee social support, up 13% year-on-year.
In 2023, the Group companies implemented environmental measures to protect air and water resources and reduce the impact of production waste.
The key environmental efforts at Acron, Veliky Novgorod, and Dorogobuzh, Smolensk region, were aimed at ensuring stable and efficient operation of production facilities and gas treatment plants, as well as compliance with emission requirements. In Murmansk region, NWPC (the Oleniy Ruchey mine) monitored air quality within the licence areas, watered the surfaces of waste dumps and access roads during the dry season, took dust control measures, and performed quantitative and qualitative monitoring of industrial emissions from stationary sources. In Perm Krai, VPC (the Talitsky mine) monitored air quality at the border of the sanitary protection zone and the licence area, and analysed the performance of dust and gas treatment plants.
To preserve and restore biodiversity, the NWPC ecologists and specialists traditionally joined national environmental campaigns. As part of the Save the Forest initiative, activists planted more than 2,000 pines in the Kola district; and during the Water of Russia campaign, the company’s employees cleaned the shoreline of the Imandra lake. VPC released 150,000 sterlet fry into the Kuibyshev reservoir and approximately 17,000 pike fry into the Kama reservoir. VPC also supported the Water of Russia campaign and cleaned the bankline of the Kama river. In the reporting year, Acron Group allocated a total of RUB 173 million to environmental measures.
The Group’s occupational and industrial safety measures included equipment diagnostics to ensure safe operation of the equipment and process flows and testing the safety of feedstock and materials used in operations. The Group also focused on improving working conditions, protecting employees’ life and health, reducing workplace accidents and occupational diseases, and taking preventive measures to minimise occupational risks. In 2023, Acron spent RUB 1.1 billion on occupational and industrial safety measures, up 32% year-on-year.
In 2023, SuperJob again named Acron an attractive employer and assigned it high key ESG ratings.