A meeting of the Gazprom Coordinating Committee for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency took place at the Gazprom headquarters under the chairmanship of Vitaly Markelov, Deputy Chairman of the Company's Management Committee – Head of the Coordinating Committee. Taking part in the meeting were Members of the Gazprom Management Committee and heads of the Company's structural units and subsidiaries.

The meeting participants discussed the progress with the Year of Ecology in Gazprom. It was noted that nearly 4,000 events had already been held instead of 1,200 events planned for 2013.

“Over this half-year period we have surpassed the annual action plan more than three times. This fact is another proof that environmental protection is a top-priority of the Company's development strategy. Gazprom cherishes the environment in any region of its operations,” said Vitaly Markelov.

For instance, in the first half of 2013 Gazprom planted 147.5 thousand trees and bushes, rehabilitated 79 water reservoirs, cleared and developed 1.9 thousand hectares of land, converted 515 units of subsidiary equipment to natural gas and held about 1,500 awareness-raising events.

A total of Gazprom's 49 subsidiaries took part in arranging and holding the Year of Ecology events. In particular, while repairing line pipe sections during a pilot project Gazprom Transgaz Krasnodar, Gazprom Transgaz Moscow and Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky used mobile compressor stations for gas pumping purposes. Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk and Gazprom Geologorazvedka released about 1 million of chum salmon juveniles into the Sakhalin Island shelf and offshore the Kamchatka Peninsula. Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg arranged garbage collection on the banks of the Vazuza, Volga and Osuga Rivers and in the near-shore area – the Asp Wood Park. Gazprom Transgaz Moscow and Gazprom Transgaz Kazan recovered and improved a lot of springs.

With a view to conserve biodiversity, the subsidiaries provided charitable assistance to specially protected natural areas and conducted activities aimed at preserving the traditional lifestyle and the territories inhabited by indigenous minorities of the Far North.

The meeting addressed the results of Gazprom's environmental activities in 2012. It was highlighted that Gazprom Group had reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 7 per cent, nitrogen and carbon oxide emissions – by 8.7 and 7.1 per cent respectively versus 2011. In 2012 Gazprom Group allocated RUB 35.2 billion to environmental activities (RUB 10.6 billion more than in 2011).

The meeting was also focused on reviewing the 2012 results of the 2011–2013 Gazprom Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program. It was emphasized that in 2012 Gazprom's wholly-owned subsidiaries had saved 2.18 million tons of fuel equivalent of energy resources, including 1.81 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 255.4 million kWh of electricity. Like in previous years, gas transmission covered the bulk of energy resource savings (87 per cent). Resources were saved due to optimizing the operational modes, cutting the costs for process needs, retrofitting and upgrading the equipment at compressor stations and line pipe sections of gas trunklines.

Background

2013 is declared the Year of Ecology in Gazprom. The action plan approved in December 2012 provides for more than 1,200 events: from the introduction of innovative technologies at gas production and transmission facilities for mitigating environmental impacts to educational campaigns and rendering support to specially protected natural areas.

The Gazprom Coordinating Committee for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency was established in October 2007 in order to secure a comprehensive approach and coordinate the environmental activities of the Company's structural units and subsidiaries.

The Committee's major goals are as follows:

comprehensively evaluating the effectiveness of Gazprom Group's environmental activities;

introducing comprehensive environmental, energy saving and energy efficiency management;

coordinating Gazprom's interaction with environmental authorities and public entities.