Impact and dependencies assessment
While the company is piloting the use of some biodiversity-related metrics, no evidence was found that it has conducted impact assessments for all its sites, beyond IUCN Red List species mapping. The company has an opportunity to disclose assessments of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, in its own operations and supply chain. Furthermore, the company does not disclose any assessment of its dependencies on nature within its own operations nor of its upstream business relationships.
Key areas and species
The company discloses the locations that are in or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity within its own operations but does not disclose such locations for its suppliers. The company has an opportunity to disclose species populations existing in or adjacent to its own locations and to the locations of its suppliers. However, it does disclose the status according to national and international conservation lists of species identified in its own locations.
Ecosystem conversion and restoration
The company does not have a commitment to ensure zero conversion.
Resource exploitation and circularity
No evidence was found regarding Polyus’ efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. It has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. While the company discloses activities to improve soil health, it does not have a target to improve soil health.
Water
While Polyus demonstrates it is reducing water withdrawal in its own operations, it has a strong opportunity to disclose a group-wide, time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations. Furthermore, the company does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. The company reports a decrease in water pollution, and discloses its processes for managing and monitoring discharge water quality, but it does not regularly report on water pollution. Polyus has a significant opportunity to disclose targets to reduce water pollution as well as a commitment to respect the right to water. Additionally, the company does not disclose its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations.
Solid and air pollution
The company is reducing the production of hazardous waste. While it reports regularly on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants, it has an opportunity to set and report on time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.
GHG emissions
While Polyus has a time-bound target to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions and reports progress against the target, it has an opportunity to align its target with a 1.5-degree trajectory. Furthermore, it has a strong opportunity to disclose a time-bound scope 3 emissions reduction target aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory and report progress against it.
Invasive species
No evidence was found that the company identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of IAS in its value chain.