Community relations

Taking our social responsibilities seriously, EVRAZ strives to adhere to international best practices by making a meaningful contribution to local economies and supporting communities wherever it operates.

This includes fostering proper ethical behaviour, caring for employee well-being, protecting the environment and being an engaged partner for local communities. Everywhere that EVRAZ operates, it seeks to build sustainable, positive partnerships with local governments and non-governmental organisations, as well as with business, media and other partners.

The creation of value for local communities and regions where we operate is ingrained in our Corporate Strategy. Transparent and constructive cooperation with local communities is an integral part of EVRAZ's activities and development. Creating shared value and respecting human rights and the views and traditions of the people in the regions where we operate are among the principles that are stipulated in our Business Conduct Policy for Employees — The EVRAZ Way.

Local communities

EVRAZ sees that business sustainability is ultimately connected with the prosperity of the communities in the regions where we operate, which we support through social and improvement programmes.

State bodies

EVRAZ contributes value to the government by providing construction and railway products for the development of infrastructure, and it is also one of the largest taxpayers and employers in Russia.

EVRAZ organises and supports a wide range of federal and regional level initiatives across the countries where we operate. The Group supports and invests in a myriad of local community projects and programmes in its territories of operation, in addition to joining nationwide and federal level initiatives. The investment focus is environmental protection, supporting and developing sport, the social and cultural development of cities, and charitable support for children and helping with their education.

Key areas of support for local communities

For children

Sponsoring educational programmes for children and young people, providing scholarships
Financing the purchase of necessary school supplies, sports equipment and developing the landscaping around schools
Supporting children in orphanages
Supporting families with children with special needs (children with health-related limitations and cerebral palsy)

For cities

Contributing to the improvement of local urban infrastructure
Sponsoring the construction and renovations of playgrounds and exercise spaces
Supporting infrastructure projects, including the construction of roads, streets and embankment areas
Sponsoring medical, educational and cultural institutions at federal and local levels

For sports

Supporting amateur and professional sports teams
Supporting individual athletes by sponsoring equipment purchases, training programmes and competitions
Financing the purchase of necessary sports equipment and developing the sports landscaping around schools
Supporting corporate sport as a very important part of corporate social activities and the corporate culture

Volunteering initiatives have for a long time been popular in the regions where we operate. The Group’s employees have a strong labour union movement presence, and our staff are highly organised; as a direct result of this, volunteering exists independently as an activity from the Group’s headquarters, and because of this the Group does not have any official policy on volunteering, or a centralised volunteering programme. That said, for many years our employees have been helping and volunteering in various causes. EVRAZ employees have supported helping people in challenging life situations, children’s institutions, and organised social and sports events to raise funds and increase awareness.

See more in the Volunteering section of Sustainability Report 2019