The results of the ESG rating of Russia's special economic zones will be announced at a forum in Nizhny Novgorod.

      02 September 2025 15:19

      [112]

      Economy

      The results of the third ESG rating of Russia's special economic zones will be announced as part of the International SEZ Forum‑2025 (18+), which will be held on September 18, 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod.

      Since 2023 the rating has been conducted by the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and Special Economic Zones of Russia with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. It assesses how actively management companies implement sustainable development principles — environmental initiatives, social standards and transparency in corporate governance.

      “Today this indicator is becoming one of the key criteria for the effectiveness of SEZs and their investment attractiveness. We see a steady increase in interest in the rating — last year almost half of the country’s special economic zones participated in it, and this year the number of participants will increase,” said Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Svyatoslav Sorokin.

      One of the forum’s key themes will be the integration of sustainable development principles into the activities of Russian SEZs. Participants will focus on the adoption of ESG practices, the transition to a low‑carbon economy and the development of “green” infrastructure.

      “Nizhny Novgorod Region pays serious attention to environmental policy. Our special economic zone ‘Kulybin’ is the first among Russia’s preferential sites to implement a low‑carbon development strategy that implies the introduction of ‘green’ technologies. I am confident that in the future this will become one of the main competitive advantages of the Nizhny Novgorod SEZ,” said Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Andrey Sanosyan.

      According to Igor Ishchenko, CEO of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation — the management company of the Kulybin SEZ — the expert council pays special attention to applicants’ environmental policies when reviewing potential residents’ applications.

      “At the site we are actively implementing environmentally friendly technologies that contribute to increased energy efficiency and resource conservation, and we also support projects aimed at creating closed production cycles. One example is the production of micronized silica gels and stable silica sols by the company RusSilica, which has no chemically contaminated emissions into the atmosphere,” he said.

      Mikhail Labudin, Director of the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia, emphasized that the results of the ESG rating are reflected in real investment processes.

      “Sustainable development increases the attractiveness of special economic zones for foreign partners. In negotiations with foreign investors we see that a site’s ESG agenda becomes one of the key factors in decisions on business localization,” emphasized Mikhail Labudin.

      Registration for the III International Forum of Special Economic Zones‑2025 is available at: https://ifsez.ru/reg. You can register for the event through September 16 inclusive.

      The forum is organized by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs of Russia, the government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Nizhny Novgorod Region Development Corporation.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay informed of the main events, exclusive materials and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is required. This resource may contain 18+ materials.