Environmental Matters

In 2019, the Bank invested in Gazprom - Gas-Engine Fuel LLC, a company engaged in the establishment of infrastructure for the development of the gas motor fuel market in the Russian Federation. On average throughout the country, automobile transport is responsible for approximately 44% of overall pollution, reaching as high as 93% in major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. Natural gas is a cleaner type of fuel compared to gasoline or diesel.

In the course of 2019, 28 new gas motor fuel infrastructure facilities were built or purchased. The transition to gas motor fuel will reduce the level of harmful atmospheric pollutants generated by the transport sector and thus allow city dwellers to breathe cleaner air. The company strategy envisages further expansion of the fueling station network to make gas motor fuel more accessible for consumers.

The Environmental Projects Center, which includes professional environmental auditors, provides additional services in the following areas:

• information and consulting support for projects designed to achieve significant environmental benefits (environmental consulting);
• preliminary environmental assessment of projects, recommendations and assistance in preparing the necessary documentation (including OCI) and, where necessary, in passing an independent environmental audit;
• establishing the compliance of documents justifying business and other activities with state environmental requirements; supporting the customer's activities in terms of interacting with the regional departments of Rosprirodnadzor (RF Service for the Oversight of Natural-Resource Management) during state environmental expert assessments;
• preliminary review of projects for compliance with the requirements governing inclusion in the national “Ecology” project and support for regional applications to the federal executive authorities;
• interaction with the regional authorities on mechanisms for possible financing of the region's contribution to the implementation of projects included in the financing program for the national “Ecology” project.

Consulting on the granting of subsidies from the federal budget for reimbursement of part of the costs entailed in the implementation of investment projects involving the introduction of the best-available technologies within the framework of the Rules approved by RF Governmental Resolution No. 541 dated April 30, 2019 (as amended by RF Governmental Resolution No. 2073 dated December 10, 2020).

• consultations on the rules and procedures for the granting of subsidies from the federal budget within the framework of investment projects for the implementation of BAT;
• recommendations for the customer on the selection of investment projects and their preliminary review;
• consulting support for the customer's activities in the preparation and execution of Application Documentation;
• preliminary examination of Application Documentation for compliance with the established requirements;
• support for the customer's interaction with the RF Ministry of Industry and Trade during the review and evaluation of Application Documentation;
• consulting support for the customer's activities in terms of reporting in accordance with the form of the RF Ministry of Finance and additional reporting.

Technologies aimed at preserving our planet’s ecological resources are acquiring paramount importance for the sustainable development of the global economy. All innovations that reduce h, cut emissions of pollutants, and help switch to more environmentally friendly materials enable companies to take a step towards responsible business conduct.

Gazprombank, jointly with the FinTech Association and the Bank of Russia, became one of the first Russian banks to launch a decentralized depository system (DDS) for mortgage deed accounting using blockchain technology. Application of this technology will also significantly improve the stability and reliability of electronic deeds data, reduce execution times, stop the use of numerous hard copies, eradicate the risk of fraud and the emergence of a gray mortgage deeds market, and minimize the risks of non-existent pledges.

The Boardmaps automated system was implemented to reduce consumption of resources, enabling electronic circulation of pre-read materials for meetings of the Bank’s collegiate bodies and, ultimately, creating a paper-free office environment.

In August 2020, Gazprombank became a partner of the third Moscow Accelerator track. The track is devoted to financial technologies and aims at scaling technological solutions of startups. The project is being implemented by Moscow Agency of Innovations in partnership with the Moscow Innovation Cluster and with support from the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of Moscow.

Additionally, Gazprombank is an investor of the Russian Quantum Center, a 4,000-square-meter scientific center located on the second floor of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. It already has 13 laboratories fitted out with modern equipment as well as a unique non-magnetic chamber that weakens external magnetic fields a thousand-fold.

17 research teams, which are engaged in fundamental research of quantum technologies, comprise Russian and international scientists, as well as students and graduates of the RQC department at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Besides scientific activities, the employees have opportunity to carry out practical projects.