In accordance with international approaches to the issues of sustainable development we determined three vectors of responsibility for our Company: social, environmental and economic. Within the framework of social responsibility we ensure a reliable and uninterrupted power supply, anti-corruption efforts as well as safety and health support both for our employees and third parties. We see our environmental responsibility in the efficient use of resources and mitigation of a negative impact on the environment. When we speak of economic responsibility we mean implementation of investment programs and payment of taxes.
Our impact on sustainable development has internal and external components. The internal component is the possibility to implement plans of development of territories and production of our stakeholders. Besides, we have an external impact on the environment and use our best efforts to save natural resources for next generations. The internal component is the influence we make on our employees’ need in a stable workplace allowing professional and personal growth and enabling them to satisfy their needs and needs of their families.
We believe that sustainable development is related with the following opportunities:
- implementation of new technologies and improvement of management quality in order to increase reliability of energy supply and electric power quality;
- cooperation with governmental authorities in order to set a tariff policy and ensure the fullest satisfaction of regions’ needs in energy transportation and distribution;
- improvement of forms of cooperation with the population in the field of prevention of electric injuries;
- development of forms and methods of personnel training, including interaction with higher and secondary educational institutions for maintaining and refilling the Company’s workforce capacity;
- improvement of work with suppliers and contractors in order to stimulate competition and to achieve the highest level of goods, works and services;
- mitigation of a negative impact on the environment.
In our activities aimed to ensure sustainable development we face certain problems. In determining priority objectives which require priority decisions we rely on the main requirement to our activities set by stakeholders: the requirement of reliable power supply. Reliability depends primarily on the condition of equipment and qualification of personnel operating this equipment. Hence, the deterioration of the grids, which is relevant to the entire electric grid complex of Russia, is among the key problems. Moreover, there are problems related to the labor market, such as the lack of qualified operating personnel in distant regions, competition in the labor market with enterprises of oil and gas industry.
In 2011-2012 we reached a certain progress in resolving the priority problems. In resolving the problem of grids deterioration we carry out technological re-equipment and reconstruction of facilities, scheduled equipment repair. In order to provide qualified personnel to the Company we implement measures of social support of employees, monitor salary levels in the regions of our presence and in the industry for creation of conditions to retain personnel by offering a competitive salary.
