Resource efficiency and environmental impact
The Moscow Exchange Group shares the environmental concerns of its stakeholders, and it strives to make a difference by minimizing any negative impact on the environment.
The primary environmental impact of the Group’s companies stems from electricity consumption associated with the operation of server and computer equipment processing a significant amount of data (the data centers account for about 42% of Moscow Exchange’s total electricity consumption). Generation of the electricity consumed by the Group’s companies generates GHG emissions that can affect the climate. Therefore, the management of Moscow Exchange Group incorporates climate risks into its risk management system and keeps track of GHG emissions. For more details see the Climate Agenda section of the report.
Other environmental impacts, including water consumption and waste generation, are mainly associated with the operation of Moscow Exchange’s offices. This subsection provides information on the types and results of environmental impacts of MOEX’s activities: energy consumption, water consumption and wastewater discharge, air pollutant emissions and waste management. Quantitative indicators can be found in the section in the subsection “Resource efficiency and environmental impact” of the section “Sustainability Data”. Methods for managing environmental issues are described in the section “Sustainability Approaches and Procedures”.
Moscow Exchange Group’s objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 12.2, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.8 Responsible consumption and production
- SDG 13.1, 13.3 Climate action
In 2022, the Moscow Exchange office on Bolshoi Kislovsky Lane was assigned a category III negative environmental impact, which requires more attention to managing environmental impacts.
The best practice in environmental impact management is to implement an environmental management system (“EMS”) in accordance with the international standard ISO 14001:2015, Environmental Management Systems - Requirements and Guidelines for Implementation. The main element of the EMS is the Environmental Policy, which defines the goals and objectives of the entity in the field of environmental protection and nature management.
In accordance with the analysis carried out, taking into account the impact aspects of the best practices of Russian and foreign companies in managing their environmental impact and as weel as the aspects of the activities in the field of environmental protection of the Group companies a draft Environmental Policy of Moscow Exchange was developed, taking into account the environmental impact aspects.
The policy covers all environmental elements of the previously adopted MOEX Sustainability Roadmap and the UN SDGs, and defines the basic principles, objectives and priorities of MOEX’s environmental protection and management activities, including the nature, scale and environmental impact of these activities.
The objectives of the Moscow Exchange Environmental Policy in the field of environmental protection and natural resource management are:
- to facilitate the transition to a circular and low-carbon economy;
- to minimise own direct and indirect negative impact on the environment and climate.
In December 2022, the Environmental Policy was approved by the Executive Board and approved on 28 April 2023 by the Supervisory Board.
In addition, as requested by the Executive a set of internal documents was developed and approved in order to establish the Moscow Exchange EMS, prepared in accordance with the standard recommendations of the ISO 14001: 2015.
In 2024, the identification and assessment of the environmental aspects of the Group were conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the ISO 14001:2015 standard. As a result of the work carried out, 103 environmental aspects were identified, seven of which were assessed as significant for the Group:
- Electricity consumption (across the entire Group);
- Electricity consumption by data centers;
- Heat energy consumption;
- Water consumption;
- Accidental spill of diesel fuel during the operation of a diesel generator;
- Accidental spill of oil (transformer oil, engine oil);
- Breakage of mercury lamps.
Additionally, a list of measures for managing significant environmental aspects was developed. The implementation of these measures will help minimize potential negative impacts on the environment and ensure the rational use of natural resources.
Energy consumption
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The Group has continual measures in place to optimize electricity and heat consumption, including the following:
- switching server processors to energy-saving mode when not under load;
- turning off office lighting and climate control equipment outside office hours;
- replacing light fixtures with energy-saving LED lamps when building or renovating premises.
In 2021, Moscow Exchange Group transferred all its office buildings on Bolshoy Kislovsky Lane and Spartakovskaya Street in Moscow to green electricity produced at Ulyanovsk Wind
Commission contracts were also signed by DataSpace and M1 for the supply of low-carbon energy to the data processing centers, where Moscow Exchange’s hardware and software systems are located. As a result, the actual energy supply in 2023 amounts to more than 12.5 million kWh, which represents more than 88 % of the MOEX’s electricity consumption. The use of clean and renewable energy will enable the Exchange to minimise its carbon footprint, in line with best practice in sustainable development.
At the end of 2024, the electricity consumption of the companies of the Moscow Exchange Group increased by 0.3% compared to 2023 and the heat consumption decreased by 8%.
MOEX’s immediate plans include continuing to implement measures to reduce gross electricity consumption by switching to more energy-efficient network equipment.
Use of green energy will help prevent GHG emissions and reduce Scope 2 indicators.
Water consumption
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Total water consumption as well as wastewater discharge decreased by 43% compared to 2023, due to work from home , while the water consumption intensity per revenue decreased by 22% to 0.2 cubic meters / million roubles. The water consumption intensity per employee amounted to 4.26 cubic metres, which is 57% lower than in 2023.
Emissions of air pollutants
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In 2024, there were no significant changes in emissions of harmful (pollutant) substances into the air.
No new sources of emissions of harmful (pollutant) substances into the atmospheric air have been identified.
The Industrial Environmental Control Program is implemented on an annual basis, and a report on its implementation is submitted to the supervisory authorities.
Waste management
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In 2023, Moscow Exchange signed contracts with the Federal Environmental Operator (FEO) for disposal of hazard class I and II wastes (mercury lamps, UPS, batteries, accumulators, batteries, etc.).
FEO provides a full spectrum of services for hazard class I-II waste management, including transportation.
The work with the FEO is fully electronic. To do this, Moscow Exchange and NSD created their User Accounts at FGIS OPVK.
Under contracts concluded with FEO, a total of 9,542 tonnes of hazard class I-II waste was transferred for disposal and neutralisation in 2024.
In April 2023, in an effort to ensure separate accumulation of low-hazard waste and its further recycling, recycling kiosks for plastic containers were placed in the office buildings on B. Kislovsky pereulok and Spartakovskaya street. The Group’s employees now may separate their plastic bottles from the general waste and hand them in through recycling kiosks.
In addition to the separate collection of plastic containers, bins for collection of batteries, paper, plastic and other waste were placed in B. Kislovsky and Spartakovskaya offices.
In 2024, we also worked on completing and filing mandatory environmental reports. To do this, Moscow Exchange and NSD created Natural Resource User Accounts. All reports were submitted within the statutory deadlines.
Conservation of Biodiversity
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In 2024, the Moscow Exchange provided charitable assistance to the “National Park ‘Meshera’” to implement a program aimed at preserving and relocating endangered animal species, including bisons, greater spotted eagles, and skops, within protected natural areas under the park’s jurisdiction. The park encompasses two national parks (“Meshera” and “Meshersky”) and two federal reserves (“Klyazminsky” and “Muromsky”), located across three regions in the Central Federal District of Russia: Vladimir, Ryazan, and Ivanovo. The total area of these protected natural areas is approximately 300,000 hectares.
To achieve a more even distribution of bisons across the protected areas managed by the “National Park ‘Meshera’”, a new resettlement point was established in 2024. This involved constructing feeding areas equipped with hay feeders, containers for concentrated feeds, salt licks, watering places, and hayfields.
Additionally, a watering point and feeders were set up in a demonstration enclosure, along with salt licks, and hay was prepared on the feeding fields.
Through the acquisition of a hay baler, 20 tons of hay were prepared for the bison enclosure near the village of Savinskaya
At the “Muromsky” Game Reserve, efforts are underway to breed a closed-type bison population. However, due to the small size of the population, derived from a limited number of individuals, there is a need to enhance genetic diversity by introducing new female bison for further breeding. This initiative began in 2020. Plans are also in place to establish free-ranging bison populations in the “Klyazminsky” reserve and the “Meshersky” national park, expanding their habitat along the basins of the Pra and Buzha rivers in Vladimir and Ryazan regions.
Moreover, there are plans to relocate young animals to other territories. In 2024, eight bisons were captured and transferred to the Mordovian State Nature Reserve named after P. G. Smidovich. From eight bisons captured and housed in a demonstration complex with the bull Merescom (brought from the “Prikokshansky” park), the first joint offspring (a bull calf) was born in November 2023.
The primary goal of these efforts is to increase the free-ranging bison population to 300 individuals by 2030 within the Vladimir population, spanning Vladimir, Ivanovo, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, and Ryazan regions, as well as the Republic of Mordovia.
To preserve populations of birds of prey, five nests were constructed for the greater spotted eagle and skop in 2024. Future ornithological observations will assess the effectiveness of these measures and determine the locations of the nests.
For 2025, further activities are planned to support the preservation and relocation of bison populations. Additionally, due to reports of a potential decline in the population of otters within the areas managed by the “National Park ‘Meshera’”, measures are being implemented to protect otter habitats and monitor their numbers, with plans to develop a conservation program for their population.
Plans for 2025
Efforts on completing and submitting mandatory environmental reporting will continue, as well as on separate collection of plastic containers through recycling kiosks and other types of waste through separate containers.
In accordance with Sustainability Roadmap Moscow Exchange Group plans the following activities:
- implementation of EMS at PJSC Moscow Exchange in accordance with ISO 14001:2015;
- increasing the share of low-carbon energy consumption in the Group’s energy consumption structure;
- carrying out annual events to improve energy efficiency;
- development of a climate risk management system and interaction with financial market participants on the climate agenda;
- implementation of annual activities for waste management and rational water consumption;
- сontinued support for the federal state-owned unitary enterprise “National Park ‘Meshera’” in preserving the populations of bisons and otters.
- carrying out environmental campaigns for separate waste collection.