Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs assigns MTS highest-possible transparency score in ESG rating
January 27, 2023
MOSCOW, Russia – Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company (“MTS” or “the Company”) (MOEX: MTSS), a leading provider of digital and media services and Russia’s largest mobile operator, announces that it is among the leaders in the “Responsibility and Openness” ESG rating published by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE). The Company’s A rating—the highest possible—confirms its commitment to the transparent and systematic disclosure of nonfinancial information. MTS was the only digital services ecosystem among the rating leaders.
The experts responsible for the rating lauded MTS for the quality, transparency and accessibility of the information the Company publishes on its sustainability efforts. The rating also noted MTS’s systematic fulfillment of its social and ESG missions: the Company publishes information about its responsible approach to the environment, the economy and society, and it is also implementing a range of ESG initiatives focused on digitalization—introducing IT services for the development of the regions where it operates.
“MTS improved its position in the RUIE’s ‘Responsibility and Openness’ ESG rating in 2022, moving from the B+ group to the A group; this achievement is indicative of the fact that MTS is a leader when it comes to the sustainable development agenda. The rating is evidence of the Company’s mature culture of responsible business conduct, as well as the qualitatively new level that MTS has reached in terms of the management and organization of activities related to key aspects of sustainability,” said Elena Feoktistova, Managing Director for Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship and Chair of the RUIE’s Expert Council on Nonfinancial Reporting.
The RUIE’s ESG rating is a tool for independently assessing sustainability-related activities; it reflects the general situation in terms of the public disclosure of nonfinancial reporting on the part of the largest Russian companies. The rating is calculated based on a wide range of metrics, including ESG factors and their relationship to a company’s economic performance. As part of the study, nonfinancial reports of 118 companies were studied: the A group, with the highest rating, included 18 companies, such as Sistema, Gazprom, LSR, NLMK, Novatek, Norilsk Nickel, Severstal, SUEK and others.
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For further information, please contact in Moscow:
Investor Relations Department
Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company
Tel: +7 495 223 2025
E-mail: ir@mts.ru
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Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company (“MTS” – MOEX: MTSS) is Russia’s largest mobile operator and a leading provider of network-native digital services. The company offers a full range of solutions for consumers and business customers across wireless and wireline connectivity; over-the-top, linear, and satellite television; digital-first banking and financial services; as well as unified communications, cloud computing and IoT. There are more than 88 million mobile subscribers using MTS services across the company’s operations in Russia, Armenia, and Belarus, including around 80 million subscribers in Russia alone. In addition, MTS has a nationwide network of more than 5,400 owned and franchised retail outlets in Russia, and provides nearly 10 million clients with broadband, TV, and/or fixed-line telephone connectivity, over 10 million users – with OTT and pay TV services. The number of ecosystem clients exceeds 12 million and MTS Bank client base is over 3 million. MTS is majority-owned by Sistema PJSFC, a publicly-traded Russian investment company. MTS’s shares are listed on the Moscow Exchange under the ticker MTSS. For more information, please visit the company’s Investor Relations website at ir.mts.ru.
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Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of MTS, as defined in the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward looking statements by terms such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “will,” “could,” “may” or “might,” and the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not undertake or intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We refer you to the documents MTS files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the Company’s most recent Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned “Risk Factors” that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the severity and duration of current economic and financial conditions, including the ongoing geopolitical situation relating to the conflict in Ukraine, the expansion of sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation by the United States, European Union and United Kingdom, volatility in interest and exchange rates (including fluctuations of the value of the Russian ruble against the U.S. dollar and the Euro), commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the impact of Russian, U.S. and other foreign government programs to restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies, our ability to maintain our current credit rating and the impact on our funding costs and competitive position if we do not do so, strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our success in integrating acquired businesses, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, our competitive environment, dependence on new service development and tariff structures, rapid technological and market change, acquisition strategy, risks associated with telecommunications infrastructure, governmental regulation of the telecommunications industries and other risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks.
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The experts responsible for the rating lauded MTS for the quality, transparency and accessibility of the information the Company publishes on its sustainability efforts. The rating also noted MTS’s systematic fulfillment of its social and ESG missions: the Company publishes information about its responsible approach to the environment, the economy and society, and it is also implementing a range of ESG initiatives focused on digitalization—introducing IT services for the development of the regions where it operates.
“MTS improved its position in the RUIE’s ‘Responsibility and Openness’ ESG rating in 2022, moving from the B+ group to the A group; this achievement is indicative of the fact that MTS is a leader when it comes to the sustainable development agenda. The rating is evidence of the Company’s mature culture of responsible business conduct, as well as the qualitatively new level that MTS has reached in terms of the management and organization of activities related to key aspects of sustainability,” said Elena Feoktistova, Managing Director for Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship and Chair of the RUIE’s Expert Council on Nonfinancial Reporting.
The RUIE’s ESG rating is a tool for independently assessing sustainability-related activities; it reflects the general situation in terms of the public disclosure of nonfinancial reporting on the part of the largest Russian companies. The rating is calculated based on a wide range of metrics, including ESG factors and their relationship to a company’s economic performance. As part of the study, nonfinancial reports of 118 companies were studied: the A group, with the highest rating, included 18 companies, such as Sistema, Gazprom, LSR, NLMK, Novatek, Norilsk Nickel, Severstal, SUEK and others.
* * *
For further information, please contact in Moscow:
Investor Relations Department
Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company
Tel: +7 495 223 2025
E-mail: ir@mts.ru
* * *
Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company (“MTS” – MOEX: MTSS) is Russia’s largest mobile operator and a leading provider of network-native digital services. The company offers a full range of solutions for consumers and business customers across wireless and wireline connectivity; over-the-top, linear, and satellite television; digital-first banking and financial services; as well as unified communications, cloud computing and IoT. There are more than 88 million mobile subscribers using MTS services across the company’s operations in Russia, Armenia, and Belarus, including around 80 million subscribers in Russia alone. In addition, MTS has a nationwide network of more than 5,400 owned and franchised retail outlets in Russia, and provides nearly 10 million clients with broadband, TV, and/or fixed-line telephone connectivity, over 10 million users – with OTT and pay TV services. The number of ecosystem clients exceeds 12 million and MTS Bank client base is over 3 million. MTS is majority-owned by Sistema PJSFC, a publicly-traded Russian investment company. MTS’s shares are listed on the Moscow Exchange under the ticker MTSS. For more information, please visit the company’s Investor Relations website at ir.mts.ru.
* * *
Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of MTS, as defined in the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward looking statements by terms such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “will,” “could,” “may” or “might,” and the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not undertake or intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We refer you to the documents MTS files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the Company’s most recent Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned “Risk Factors” that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the severity and duration of current economic and financial conditions, including the ongoing geopolitical situation relating to the conflict in Ukraine, the expansion of sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation by the United States, European Union and United Kingdom, volatility in interest and exchange rates (including fluctuations of the value of the Russian ruble against the U.S. dollar and the Euro), commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the impact of Russian, U.S. and other foreign government programs to restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies, our ability to maintain our current credit rating and the impact on our funding costs and competitive position if we do not do so, strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our success in integrating acquired businesses, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, our competitive environment, dependence on new service development and tariff structures, rapid technological and market change, acquisition strategy, risks associated with telecommunications infrastructure, governmental regulation of the telecommunications industries and other risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks.
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