In 2020, Ilim Group invested USD 167 million, which is almost a third of total annual investments of USD 540.6 million, in projects aimed to put in place best available technologies and reduce the Company’s environmental footprint.

In 2020, Ilim Group implemented a number of reforestation initiatives as part of the responsible forest management concept. The Company replanted 6.5 million seedlings and sowed 4 tons of seeds of pine and spruce last year. Ilim’s leased timberlands of 7.9 million ha are certified in accordance with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) and PEFC™ (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) standards.

A major upgrade was carried out in Bratsk with two large projects with environmental benefits completed at the same time at the mill in 2020: new woodroom 4 with a closed-loop water recycling system and vacuum evaporation plant 8 were started up. Additionally, in 2020, Bratsk continued construction and installation work to replace the existing flue gas treatment equipment of lime kilns 4, 5, and 6 with state-of-the-art electrostatic precipitators.

In 2020, at Ilim’s Mill in Koryazhma, the replacement of the left electrostatic precipitator chamber of recovery boiler 3 was completed and major construction and installation work was performed to rebuild recovery boiler 5.

Moreover, last year the Koryazhma Mill of Ilim Group was excluded from the Environmental Hot Spot list of the Barents Region as it was recognized as compliant with the relevant requirements of the Russian environmental laws and international conventions. The decision to exclude the Koryazhma Mill from the above list was made at the XIV meeting of the Ministers of Environment of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) in February 2020.