Russia Working Group: Russia kick-off

In December 2018, Bettercoal launched the Country Working Groups to help drive the initiative’s Country Prioritisation Strategy in Colombia and Russia.

The focus of these groups is to engage directly with all stakeholders, especially Bettercoal Suppliers, to establish a platform for open dialogue so we can reinforce collaboration between the Bettercoal initiative and the mining companies, aiming to boost our mutual understanding in order to build together a more responsible coal supply chain.

To deliver on these goals, the Russia Working Group (RWG) will have an in-country kick-off in Russia in September 2019. The working group will visit both Moscow and the mining region of Kuzbass. To facilitate an inclusive stakeholder engagement, the working group aims to meet with a variety of stakeholders relevant to the coal industry to have an open, honest and transparent dialogue on the role of coal mining in Russia.

These stakeholders include Russian mining companies which are Bettercoal Suppliers as well as other coal producers. We will also reach out to government representatives, such as the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Administration of the Kemerovo region. We also intend to hear from civil society stakeholders such as the Russian Independent Union of Workers of Coal Industry (ROSUGLEPROF), local community representatives, and Ecodefence. These are all stakeholders which have been part of the Assessment Process during previous site-assessments and have provided us with valuable insights into the practices and challenges of coal mining in Russia.

This working visit presents an opportunity for all stakeholders to provide Bettercoal and its members with direct feedback on the environmental, social and governance issues around the coal supply chain in Russia, discuss challenges that currently exist and options or possible points of collaboration that will improve the sustainability of coal mining.