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Norilsk Nickel notes interest of foreign investors in company’s 'green' bonds

Green bonds attract investment to be used for financing environmental projects

SOCHI, February 28. /TASS/. Foreign investors are interested in "green" bonds of Norilsk Nickel and want to invest in them, according to the company’s Vice-President Elena Bezdenezhnykh.

"Norilsk Nickel is indeed considering the possibility of issuing "green" bonds, which would interest direct investors. During the road show, we are often asked questions about "green" bonds because people want to invest in them. Most often it involves foreign investors," she said.

Bezdenezhnykh noted that it would be difficult for Russia to deal with the issue of "green" bonds, since there are difficulties in identifying green projects, as they "practically do not differ from other financial instruments."

In addition, Bezdenezhnykh said that before 2023 the company plans to invest more than 1 trillion rubles ($17.18 bln) in investment, including 250 bln rubles ($4.29 bln) to environmental projects.

Green bonds attract investment to be used for financing environmental projects.

World cannot yet offer technologies that would make steel industry "green"

At the moment, in the world there are no technologies that could make steel industry "green", Bezdenezhnykh said. Before 2023, the company plans to invest 250 bln rubles ($4.29 bln) in environmental projects.

"We are constantly improving the environment. Before 2023, the company is going to invest 250 bln rubles ($4.29 bln) in environmental projects. So far, the world cannot offer technologies that would make steel industry "green". The best we can do is to make it safe and harmless to people, and we are following this path," she told reporters.

According to Bezdenezhnykh, by 2023 the company will reduce harmful emissions to 75%. "In order to reduce environmental damage, we are working with leading scientific centers from Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and St. Petersburg. We are commissioning scientific works that we later use in activities of our enterprises," she added.

In addition, this year Norilsk Nickel plans to open Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant for processing copper-gold ores in the Chita region. "There, we use new available technologies, modern ecological approaches to reduce the impact on the environment from the start," Bezdenezhnykh said.

Bezdenezhnykh added that foreign investors are interested in "green" bonds of Norilsk Nickel and want to invest in them. "Norilsk Nickel is indeed considering the possibility of issuing "green" bonds, which would interest direct investors. During the road show, we are often asked questions about "green" bonds because people want to invest in them. Most often it involves foreign investors," she said.

Bezdenezhnykh noted that it would be difficult for Russia to deal with the issue of "green" bonds, since there are difficulties in identifying green projects, as they "practically do not differ from other financial instruments."

In addition, Bezdenezhnykh said that before 2023 the company plans to invest more than 1 trillion rubles ($17.18 bln) in investment, including 250 bln rubles ($4.29 bln) to environmental projects.

Green bonds attract investment to be used for financing environmental projects.

Norilsk Nickel is a Russian diversified mining and metals company, the globally largest producer of nickel and palladium and the major producer of platinum, cobalt, copper, and rhodium. The company also produces gold, silver, iridium, osmium, selenium, ruthenium, and tellurium.