On 4 September, the Eastern Economic Forum hosted the session ‘Tools for Sovereign Development in a Destabilised World Order’. During the session, Andrey Vishnevsky, CEO of Azot KAO, made a report on the social well-being ecosystem of Kemerovo-based Azot as a best corporate practice.

One of the tools for assessing the contribution of business to the sustainable development of the country today is the All-Russian ECG Rating of Responsible Business. According to the results of 2023, among representatives of large businesses in Kuzbass, Azot KAO ranks 1st in its sector with a AAA rating (Leader level).

The social well-being ecosystem implemented at the enterprise, which covers 100% of employees (5,700 employees), had a significant impact on the formation of a comprehensive assessment of the company within the framework of the ECG-rating. Among the main social programmes is Health Management, under which all Azot employees underwent a health check-up in 2023. Based on the results of the check-up, each employee received a health passport with recommended check-ups, medical and health resort treatment. In addition, children of employees also undergo free comprehensive medical check-ups. Thus, out of 4.5 thousand children of employees, 1.7 thousand were examined last year, the rest - this year. In total, Azot KAO allocates about RUB 1.3 billion per year for social purposes (RUB 230,000 per employee).
The key project for 2024 is the demographic programme ‘Our Children’, which provides for a one-off payment of RUB 1 million (including personal income tax) to employees in connection with the birth of a child.

- One of the main objectives of implementing the social welfare ecosystem at Kemerovo Azot is to retain those employees who work at the enterprise and attract new young personnel. Today, the situation with labour resources is not simple; there is a catastrophic shortage of them. And we want to give our employees confidence in the future, that they will be supported in a difficult situation. For us, this is an investment in the future, in the development of the region and the country as a whole,’ commented Andrey Vishnevsky.