Moscow, August 16, 2022 – The Board of Directors of RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, approved the first corporate biodiversity conservation policy.

RUSAL biodiversity conservation policy recognizes the importance of efforts to preserve biological species, especially those under protection, as well as their habitats, crucial for species’ conservation. The new policy introduces a risk-based approach, where risk assessment is mandatory to preserve biodiversity when planning and implementing operational activities.

The key principles of the policy are the responsible management of biodiversity and the assessment of the effectiveness of the Company's efforts in terms of their impact on ecosystem services - i.e. on the benefits that humanity derives from the environment and from properly functioning ecosystems. For instance, RUSAL's forestry projects have already helped delivering positive impact in the environmental, social and economic areas. These projects directly contribute to the growth of carbon dioxide absorption, the conservation of wildlife habitats, and the development of tourism; they offer the possibility to implement scientific research and educational projects, etc.

RUSAL plans to develop partnerships and collaborations with scientific, environmental, educational, government and non-government organizations, as well as the local communities. Ongoing eco-monitoring is to be organized in the regions where the Company's production sites are located, researches will be handled, involving experts and community to assess the efficiency of biodiversity preservation efforts.

In particular, as part of the ecological modernization of the largest Siberian aluminium smelters in Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Shelekhov and Novokuznetsk, RUSAL assessed the impact of all project stages on the local flora and fauna, an unprecedented effort for the Russian aluminium industry. An independent expert examination has confirmed that by reducing emissions of pollutants, flora and fauna impact mitigation is ensured. Due to on-site landscaping programmes being part of the ecological modernization programme, the total area of urban greening on the industrial sites in scope will increase from 10 to 37%.

“According to the UN, there are over 1.75 million species of plants and animals that are currently cataloged and described, while, according to certain scientists, the actual number of species exceeds 13 million. Despite the fact that the urgent need to preserve endangered species for future generations is obvious and widely recognized, the number of species of wild flora and fauna continues to decline at an alarming pace.

For us in RUSAL it is obvious that economic factors have a direct influence on the planet’s biodiversity. We believe that our biodiversity preservation projects should become more relevant for all RUSAL stakeholders: for residents of the territories where the Company operates, experts and scientists, our customers, employees, regulators and investors. This is what our biodiversity policy is aimed at: we have big plans and we intend to implement them in full. This will help ensure sustainable living in the territories of our responsibility,” noted Irina Bakhtina, Chief Sustainability Officer of RUSAL.