The results of the ESG rating of Russia's special economic zones will be summarized at the SEZ-2025 International Forum.
On September 18, the results of the third ESG rating of Russian SEZs will be presented in Nizhny Novgorod as part of the International Forum of Special Economic Zones.
The rating has been conducted by the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and Special Economic Zones with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development since 2023. He evaluates how actively management companies are implementing the principles of sustainable development — environmental initiatives, social standards and transparency of business management.
"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 also increase," said Svyatoslav Sorokin, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
One of the central topics of the forum will be the integration of ESG principles into the work of Russian platforms. The participants will discuss the introduction of "green" technologies, the transition to a low-carbon economy and the creation of modern infrastructure, which directly affects global competitiveness.
An example of such solutions is the Kulibin Special economic Zone in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, where a low-carbon development strategy is being implemented. "In the future, this will become one of the competitive advantages of the region," said Andrey Sanosyan, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
According to Mikhail Labudin, director of the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZs, the results of the ESG rating are already reflected in practice: "For foreign partners, sustainable development is becoming one of the decisive factors when choosing a site. Thus, the experience of the Lipetsk SEZ shows that low-carbon initiatives are able to attract international projects, including in the BRICS format."
Registration for the forum is open until September 16: https://ifsez.ru/reg .
The organizers of the event are the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Association of Clusters, Technoparks and SEZ, the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the Regional Development Corporation.