Geopolitical use of sustainability reports : Gazprom as an environmental sustainability actor
Karvinen, Isabella (2021)
Karvinen, Isabella
2021
Hallintotieteiden maisteriohjelma - Master's Programme in Administrative Studies
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2021-11-05
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202110267855
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202110267855
Tiivistelmä
This research focuses on Russian Natural Gas Company Gazprom and analysis of its sustainability reporting. Energy sector is one of the main greenhouse gases emitting sectors in the world therefore it has a major role in mitigating the effects of climate change. In 2015 the Paris Agreement was conducted and most of the countries signed to decrease their emissions and participate in the global climate agenda. As one of the biggest emitters among companies its activities influence decrease of the global emissions.
Research agenda aims to answer question how Gazprom positions itself as a global environmental actor and how Gazprom defines global environmental challenges and sustainability. Gazprom is a company with strategic importance for Russian state and this research explores what geopolitical agendas Gazprom aims to pursue with sustainability reporting. The main market of Gazprom is in Europe. For Gazprom it is important to hold on to this market because the export to foreign markets have bigger revenue compared to domestic gas sales and Gazprom’s natural gas deliveries are still rather inflexible and reliant on pipeline infrastructure. I aim to explore what motivates Gazprom to conduct sustainability reporting and how it portrays itself as a global environmental actor. Analysis method I use is thematic analysis to detect pattern and similarities in reports from year 2008 to 2018. In total seven reports were included in this research.
Theoretical background to this research is critical geopolitical study on resources and environment. Moreover, how discourses are used as a geopolitical tool. Critical approach to geopolitics allows this research to analyse how issues are portrayed and whose interest activities serve. Resource representation constructs an idea how resource can be understood, represented and defined. Through resource representation, it is possible to create a positive and eco-friendly image around resource that in reality is harmful for the environment. Environmental geopolitics study how environment and environmental risks are used to achieve and support geopolitical arguments and agendas.
Sustainability and sustainable development have become an important part of global agenda due to the urgency to answer the threat of climate change. As I analyse sustainability reporting important part of my research is the definition of sustainability and sustainability discourse. Sustainability is widely used but often definitions for it are vague and create a possibility for interpretations. Thus, it creates a possibility for every actor using term sustainability is able to define it through the discourse, which fits best to one’s purposes.
Russia is not pioneer nor environmental leader taking steps towards the global goals aiming to decrease emissions. Gazprom defines itself as a global environmental actor. The idea of sustainability is based on the idea that natural gas is the fuel for the future. Sustainability is used as geopolitical tool to construct an idea of natural gas as eco-friendly solution for oil and coal and reliable solution for renewable energy, which is portrayed as unreliable.
Russia uses energy resources to influence Europe and gain power through energy exports. Gazprom’s geopolitical agenda is to define natural gas as a sustainable energy and continue to sell gas to European market. Current discussion on climate change and global climate agreements like the Paris agreement require energy companies to think about their activities and future investments. Russia is a signatory state of Paris agreement, but its economy is still highly reliant on hydrocarbon production. Energy exports are a geopolitical ‘weapon’ over Europe. Gazprom aims to define sustainability for its own benefit and define hydrocarbon production as sustainable. For Gazprom economic goals, energy security and energy superpower interests overtake the environmental sustainability aspirations
Research agenda aims to answer question how Gazprom positions itself as a global environmental actor and how Gazprom defines global environmental challenges and sustainability. Gazprom is a company with strategic importance for Russian state and this research explores what geopolitical agendas Gazprom aims to pursue with sustainability reporting. The main market of Gazprom is in Europe. For Gazprom it is important to hold on to this market because the export to foreign markets have bigger revenue compared to domestic gas sales and Gazprom’s natural gas deliveries are still rather inflexible and reliant on pipeline infrastructure. I aim to explore what motivates Gazprom to conduct sustainability reporting and how it portrays itself as a global environmental actor. Analysis method I use is thematic analysis to detect pattern and similarities in reports from year 2008 to 2018. In total seven reports were included in this research.
Theoretical background to this research is critical geopolitical study on resources and environment. Moreover, how discourses are used as a geopolitical tool. Critical approach to geopolitics allows this research to analyse how issues are portrayed and whose interest activities serve. Resource representation constructs an idea how resource can be understood, represented and defined. Through resource representation, it is possible to create a positive and eco-friendly image around resource that in reality is harmful for the environment. Environmental geopolitics study how environment and environmental risks are used to achieve and support geopolitical arguments and agendas.
Sustainability and sustainable development have become an important part of global agenda due to the urgency to answer the threat of climate change. As I analyse sustainability reporting important part of my research is the definition of sustainability and sustainability discourse. Sustainability is widely used but often definitions for it are vague and create a possibility for interpretations. Thus, it creates a possibility for every actor using term sustainability is able to define it through the discourse, which fits best to one’s purposes.
Russia is not pioneer nor environmental leader taking steps towards the global goals aiming to decrease emissions. Gazprom defines itself as a global environmental actor. The idea of sustainability is based on the idea that natural gas is the fuel for the future. Sustainability is used as geopolitical tool to construct an idea of natural gas as eco-friendly solution for oil and coal and reliable solution for renewable energy, which is portrayed as unreliable.
Russia uses energy resources to influence Europe and gain power through energy exports. Gazprom’s geopolitical agenda is to define natural gas as a sustainable energy and continue to sell gas to European market. Current discussion on climate change and global climate agreements like the Paris agreement require energy companies to think about their activities and future investments. Russia is a signatory state of Paris agreement, but its economy is still highly reliant on hydrocarbon production. Energy exports are a geopolitical ‘weapon’ over Europe. Gazprom aims to define sustainability for its own benefit and define hydrocarbon production as sustainable. For Gazprom economic goals, energy security and energy superpower interests overtake the environmental sustainability aspirations