PJSC Sberbank : Sber to give ESG rating to its clients until end of 2021

Sber is completing the assigning of its ESG ratings to corporate clients. The model is set to be completed by the end of the year and will be validated after that.

The rating will draw on 37 ESG factors, with data obtained from 1,500 companies during the year. Using the data, the first prototype of the model has been developed. Building on the best-in-class principles, it assesses and compares clients in clusters of homogeneous industries in terms of the maturity of their ESG agenda.

The ESG rating is expected to become part of the comprehensive set of Sber's ESG instruments designed to deliver an objective sustainability evaluation of companies.

Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank:

"The results of our survey revealed that some companies do not take into account sustainability principles in their operations. This was not something unexpected since the ESG agenda is only gaining momentum in Russia. Large companies are the first to join it - first of all, I'm talking about exporters interested in selling their products in foreign markets and attracting international financing. That said, we see potential for ESG growth even among the largest corporations, especially when they are benchmarked against global ratings.

Sber will keep developing this tool. We see our mission as helping clients to succeed with their ESG transformations and thereby increase their own resilience. For Sber, decarbonization, minimization of any negative impact on the environment, as well as corporate governance transparency and social well-being are top priorities. For instance, we intend to achieve carbon neutrality in operations by 2030 and will support every corporate client that sets a similar goal."