Indigenous Peoples
NOVATEK’s approach to community engagement is centered around unwavering respect for human rights. We pay particular attention to the indigenous peoples of the Far North and recognize their various vulnerabilities as well as the need to preserve their cultural and spiritual values. We strive to prevent the risks of violating the rights and interests of local communities and regularly evaluate the performance of ongoing social projects and the Company’s impact across its footprint.
To drive sustained positive outcomes, NOVATEK applies a systematic approach to community engagement, based on unwavering respect for human rights. We strive to prevent violation of the rights and interests of local communities, prevent involuntary resettlement, and regularly evaluate the performance of ongoing social projects.
To make informed decisions that factor in the needs of all stakeholders, NOVATEK seeks free, prior, and informed consent from indigenous peoples with regard to projects that affect their livelihoods.
The Company takes into account the needs of local communities and directs its social investments toward the most significant social issues in its regions of operation. To engage with local communities and identify pressing issues, including involuntary resettlement, NOVATEK regularly conducts community monitoring and public hearings, holding direct consultations with local residents, as well as uses a hotline to collect feedback.
To enhance the performance of its social projects, the Company enters into strategic cooperation and engagement agreements with regional governors, municipal authorities, and non-profit organizations representing the interests of a wide range of stakeholders.
Cooperation with the indigenous peoples of the Far North
As NOVATEK operates near territories inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Far North, we place particular focus on supporting them through our social initiatives. The Company undertakes initiatives and implements projects to preserve indigenous cultural and spiritual heritage, as well as traditional ways of life, including by providing material support to indigenous peoples of the Far North.
In running its social projects, NOVATEK is guided by global best practices and internal documents aimed at protecting the rights and interests of the indigenous peoples of the Far North. For its large-scale LNG projects, the Company has developed plans to support the sustainable development of indigenous peoples, incorporating input from nomadic families, impact assessments on indigenous communities, and measures to improve their quality of life.
In its engagement with indigenous peoples of the Far North, NOVATEK strictly adheres to the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Accordingly, the FPIC procedure has been applied to the areas of the Company’s large-scale LNG projects where its operations affect the livelihoods of indigenous peoples of the Far North. When implementing projects, the Company holds mandatory public consultations with local communities and indigenous minorities.
NOVATEK is committed to open and transparent dialogue, offering local communities — including the indigenous peoples of the Far North — accessible channels to submit any grievances and queries. The Company operates a single ethics and human rights hotline, along with separate hotlines for its large-scale LNG projects.
The Company reviews all reports on violations of human rights and the rights and freedoms of local communities in a timely and fair way. At the same time, NOVATEK ensures the confidentiality of queries and does not allow any retaliation against those who submit them. Where violations are identified, the Company immediately takes action to minimize any potential negative impact of its operations on human rights.
A service center operates at the Yurkharovskoye field to provide support to indigenous peoples of the Far North.
To assess the effectiveness of its engagement with the indigenous minorities of the North, NOVATEK conducts independent monitoring visits as part of the implementation of its 2024–2028 Plan to Promote the Sustainable Development of the Indigenous Peoples of the Far North (PPSD). In the reporting year, as part of implementing the PPSD for indigenous peoples, the Company continued to actively involve indigenous residents of the North in environmental monitoring and in tracking the condition of traditional use areas, including pastures, animal habitats, and migration routes. The data obtained were analyzed in terms of the impact of the Company’s activities on ecosystem services and may be used to refine field survey routes, plan environmental measures, adjust support for nomadic families, and implement measures under PPSDs.
