The ESG agenda is marching across Russia
Herman Gref's ESG evangelism is paying dividends
Herman Gref is plowing ahead with his Davos-inspired “client path” for Russia.
As part of his never-ending campaign to make life intolerable, the CEO of Russia’s largest vax-shilling bank has been methodically spreading the ESG Gospel.
On May 16, Gref inked a deal with Bauman Moscow State Technical University, one of Russia’s most prestigious technical institutes. The agreement aims to “develop engineering education in Russia”.
Together, Sber and Bauman University will “work together to conduct fundamental and applied scientific research in the fields of robotics and software engineering. Joint developments aimed at achieving sustainable development goals (ESG) can become a separate area of cooperation.”
(Gref, the cunning technocrat that he is, has been pouring resources into to molding Russia’s most promising and impressionable young minds. They’re the future, after all.)
But his ESG shenanigans have not been limited to altruistic education programs.
A brief timeline of Sber’s latest ESG conquests:
March 13: Sber helps Krasnodar with ESG investments
Via kuban24.tv:
“For several years we have been recording a growing demand for Sber’s digital solutions at all levels [in Krasnodar]: healthcare, education, real estate, tourism, trade, and the agro-industrial complex. And we are ready to implement many promising projects in 2023: investment support for enterprises that are important for the Kuban, expanding the availability of cashless payments, developing online trading using artificial intelligence technologies, and implementing pilot ESG projects in dozens of areas and directions,” said Anatoly Pesennikov, head of Sber Southwest. […]
In addition, Sber is actively expanding its ESG partnership in the Kuban. Since 2021, Sberbank and the Ministry of Economy of the region, as part of a cooperation agreement, have been developing ESG principles in the business environment.
April 4: Sber hosts “unique ESG festival” in Karelia
Via stolicaonego.ru:
“In a playful way, the festival promotes the principles of ESG—a responsible attitude to the environment, high social responsibility, and high quality corporate governance,” said Konstantin Bugrim, Manager of the Karelian branch of Sberbank. […]
With the help of the ESG Marathon, participants were able to boost their environmental, social and management skills and knowledge through interactive tests.
May 3: “Ingushetia and Sberbank signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of ESG”
Via ingushetia.ru:
The agreement is aimed at reducing the risks of global climate change, the transition to low-carbon solutions and green economic models, as well as improving the quality of life and providing equal opportunities for employees and residents. It also aims to raise standards of corporate governance, transparency and accountability in the area of ESG.
“I am confident that our cooperation in this area will lead to great success in the field of sustainable development. We expect that the ESG transformation will increase the productivity and efficiency of many processes in the economy and business, as well as the investment attractiveness of the region,” commented Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov, the head of the region.
May 3: “The government of Dagestan and Sberbank agreed to jointly develop digital technologies and ESG”
Via lezgigazet.ru:
“The agreement signed today will be the next step in our joint work on the development and implementation of digital technologies in various areas of life, and the implementation of ESG projects in many areas,” Anatoly Pesennikov, chairman of Sber Southwest, said.
May 4: “North Ossetia and Sberbank will develop cooperation in the field of ESG”
Via osnova.news:
The document provides for joint implementation and development of advanced technologies and services. In addition, as noted, the agreement will help create conditions in the republic for the transition to a sustainable development model.
“The relevance of the ESG agenda is growing every year. Sber has extensive experience in implementing projects aimed at sustainable development in various areas and areas. The agreement signed today will be the next step towards the ESG transformation of the region. Together with the Government of North Ossetia, Sber will help increase investment the attractiveness of the republic and the improvement of the quality of life of each of its inhabitants,” Anatoly Pesennikov stressed.
You get the idea.
Gref is reportedly going to sign another 4-year contract with Sber (he’s been head of the bank since 2007), so it’s safe to assume Sber will continue its ESG crusade for the foreseeable future—probably until all the carbon (the proles) is reduced to zero.
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They are all in the club, it's all a big show.
When Russia gets their CBDC or whatever, why do they need these overpaid "visionary" banksters like gref?
Oh yeah, it's a human rights thing to feed the oligarchs, because if they can only afford one yacht per year, it puts them below the asshole poverty line.