Leaders in Sustainable Development

Agroexpress, the project of Russian Railways Logistics JSC, became the winner in the Innovations For Future category of the BRICS Solutions for SDG Awards-2022. Three more projects of Russian Railways JSC have been awarded for High Professionalism. 

The BRICS Solutions for SDG is an annual award where a jury of subject matter experts and BRICS Business Council representatives determine the most outstanding projects of the BRICS member countries - Brazil, China, India, South Africa and, of course, Russia.

The 2022 Award features programs in the areas of quality of life, technological innovation, environmental protection and clean energy, international collaboration, preventing future risks, and creating promising developments and improvements. In total, more than 40 companies from the BRICS countries applied for the Award.

The evaluation criteria were the relevance of the project, the approach to its development and implementation, efficiency in terms of use of financial and other resources, sustainability (project’s positive effect durability), collaboration (building partnerships within project, strengthening and expanding the impact on the community), as well as uniqueness and scalability.

Thus, Agroexpress, the project of Russian Railways Logistics, won first place in the Innovations For Future category. The project is a comprehensive logistics service for the export-import transportation of agro-industrial cargo for more details: in the article - Agricultural product corridor. 

‘For Russian Railways Logistics, receiving this award means professional recognition of our efforts in developing agricultural logistics at the international level,’ says Evgeniya Fisenko, Press Service Head of Russian Railways Logistics. ‘Issues of food security, international trade and provision of agricultural logistics are at the top of the international political and economic agenda. It is highly important to develop joint logistics services and products that take into account the interests of many countries and develop markets for entire regions: EEU, Central Asia and the CIS.’ she added.

She mentioned, that in this award category, some agricultural solutions, a South African bank’s project, and a financial service implemented by the Yangon office of the Chinese bank ICBC were distinguished. In total, more than 40 companies from the BRICS countries applied for the Award in 6 categories.  

Agroexpress is not the only project of the Russian Railways highly appreciated by the jury. Three more projects of the holding company have been awarded for High Professionalism. Two of them - in the Technological Innovations & Their Application category (including the Moscow Central Diameters), one - in the International Cooperation category (the Baikal International School category).

‘We are highly active for the development of business cooperation in the BRICS association, we see favorable prospects in connection with the plans of new countries - Saudi Arabia, Argentina and others - to join it,’ said Trofim Yakovlev, Head of Foreign Projects and International Cooperation Department of the Russian Railways.’ For us, this means expanding the geography of our project work. This should be facilitated by the support of the New Development Bank, with which we have some cases of fruitful cooperation. Beyond that, accession of new countries - Egypt, the UAE, Uruguay and Bangladesh - to the Bank gives brand new opportunities for railway workers.’

It should be noted that the Russian Railways is actively involved in promoting initiatives to develop cooperation with the BRICS countries in the areas of logistics, infrastructure projects, personnel training, R&D.

The work is both bilateral and multilateral - for example, as part of the BRICS Business Council where the Russian Railways has been a member for almost 10 years – since its creation.

According to Trofim Yakovlev, at this year’s initiative of the Russian Railways, the list of recommendations of the Business Council for Strengthening Cooperation Between The BRICS Countries reflects the priority of railroad development to increase the logistical connectivity of the five countries, as well as the solution of environmental problems – railway transportation is currently one of the "greenest" in terms of the minimum amount of CO2 emissions. (more on this: in the article - Priority of sustainable development)

‘Presentation of the Council's recommendations to the heads of state during the annual summit creates a favorable basis for further cooperation,’ Trofim Yakovlev concluded.

Anna Yakusheva

8 august 2022