MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. Only Atomflot, Rosatom's nuclear fleet, and the Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) have a sufficient level of environmental openness out of 31 shipping companies operating on the Northern Sea Route. At the same time, 65% of companies have a zero level of openness to environmental information, the Institute of Geography (the Russian Academy of Sciences) said about results of conducted studies in materials, obtained by TASS.
"Atomflot and the Far Eastern Shipping Company were recognized as two companies with a sufficient level of openness. Both companies provide both standard documents, and non-financial statements with quantitative indicators of environmental impacts, which is rare in this branch of the Russian economy. Both companies report quite extensive information on quantitative and qualitative aspects of environmental responsibility, however, they do not comply with the GRI requirements (Global Reporting Initiative - TASS) or other international standards. Additionally, their reports do not undergo public or professional certification procedures," Evgeny Schwartz, head of the Center for Responsible Environmental Management at the Institute of Geography (the Russian Academy of Sciences), told TASS.
According to him, Sovcomflot could enter the group of companies with a sufficient level of openness, but it had not published non-financial statements for 2021-2022. As many as 65% of the 31 shipping companies included in the research have the zero level of openness of environmental information, and 29% do not disclose fully this information, and only 6% have a sufficient level of openness. The assessment of the companies' environmental openness was carried out on the basis of open data on 2022: official websites, non-financial reporting, published policies and documents.
The studies' results note that the conclusion about the low disclosure of environmental impact indicators among Russian companies correlates with the result obtained in a recent study by Greek authors based on an international sample of marine industry companies. At the same time, a number of shipping companies from Europe and North America still practice non-financial statements.
"Oil and gas and mining companies in Russia demonstrate a fairly high level of environmental openness and, probably, of environmental responsibility. But the situation with their shipping contractors is much less positive and can become a source of significant environmental risks in transportation of products. Thus, it should be assumed that freight customers cannot claim the status of environmentally responsible companies until their shipping contractors move to an appropriate level of environmental openness, responsibility and safety. It is necessary to use opportunities to influence environmental policies and the openness of contractors, including through the introduction and development of an audit by a third, independent party," said Alexey Knizhnikov, a member of the National Committee for the Support of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Arctic shipping statistics
In December 2023, the Arctic Council's Protection of Arctic Marine Environment Working Group published the fourth report on the development of shipping in the region. It provides statistics on the nationality of ships that sailed within the Polar Code in the Arctic in 2022. The report quoted almost 1,700 vessels under flags of 42 countries. The top five countries are: Russia - 885 ships, Norway - 180, Denmark - 122, USA - 88, Canada - 55. Thus, vessels flying the Russian flag make up about half of the fleet operating within the Polar Code, that is, in the Arctic Ocean areas with stable ice conditions.