It obliges companies operating in the Arctic to disclose data on their activities that may have a negative impact on the environment, as well as provide information on plans to reduce the negative impact on it.

The draft law on mandatory disclosure of environmental information by residents of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) was developed in Russia. It allows for the preventive identification of environmental risks, as well as to prevent a negative impact on the environment of residents of the Russian Arctic, said Maria Dmitrieva, director general of EcoDisclosure.

“Our main proposal, which I would like to discuss today, is the adoption of a bill on mandatory disclosure of environmental information by residents of the Arctic zone,” she said on Wednesday during the international conference “Uniting for Sustainable Development: Dialogue between Government, Business and Society in Developing a National ESG -strategy "in the Public Chamber (OP) of the Russian Federation.

According to Dmitrieva, the draft law obliges companies operating in the Arctic to disclose data on their activities that may have a negative impact on the environment, as well as provide information on plans to reduce the negative impact on it. It is assumed that the data will be provided in the form of a quarterly environmental report. "For example, if there was some kind of accident, leakage or some kind of audit, fines, courts and so on - all this must be disclosed to the company," she added.

As the Director General noted, changing climatic conditions in the Arctic affects not only the local flora and fauna, but also the environmental situation around the world, so this topic must be considered more carefully. "Scientists recently submitted a report on climate change, which says that the Arctic is suffering the most from climate change. The weather becomes warmer 2-3 times faster there than in other regions," she added.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev reported that Russia, as part of its chairmanship in the Arctic Council, will pay special attention to the issue of environmental protection.

Source: TASS