Mondi Group, the world leader in packaging and paper production, joined forces with WWF Russia and launched the Let’s Save Reindeer Together program, aimed at restoring the number of wild reindeer in the taiga and tundra zones of Russia, including in the Republic of Komi, where Mondi Syktyvkar Wood Processing Plant is located.

The partnership with WWF Russia reflects Mondi's environmental strategy. Despite the fact that Mondi does not harvest wood in the habitat of wild reindeer, this project is important for the company in terms of consistent implementation of its concept of careful and responsible attitude to forest resources, both in the zone of the company's direct operations and beyond.

Wild reindeer, which lives throughout the taiga and tundra zones of Russia, has always played a very important role in the life of the indigenous peoples of the North. However, in recent years the number of reindeer has declined dramatically, and many of its populations are listed in the Red Books of Russian regions with the status of “endangered species”.

The main causes of such a catastrophic decline are related to human activity. Degradation of pastures and pristine forests, poaching and tourism increase anxiety and force weakened deer to seek new refuges over the winter, losing energy and chances of survival.

As part of WWF Russia’s program, with the support of Mondi, the following steps will be taken:

· during the year, migration sites of wild reindeer in Komi will be studied to collect necessary information on migration routes of reindeer to protect them from poaching and other factors of concern;

· on the Kamchatka Peninsula, a genetic analysis of the collected biological material will be carried out, followed by a program on the restoration of wild reindeer populations.

Snegurochka, one of the most famous office paper brands in Russia, manufactured by Mondi WPP, has become a symbol of the project, representing Mondi. “Values, broadcast by Snegurochka as a brand, are ideal for this project,” said Alexei Shamin, CEO of Mondi Sales CIS LLC. “As a character of Russian fairy tales, she is caring, attentive, practical and will not leave anyone without help. We believe that helping to preserve the wild reindeer population, which is now in a critically endangered situation, is an important environmental initiative, consistent with our strategy.”

The wild reindeer conservation project is not the first joint initiative for Mondi Group and WWF. The parties signed a global cooperation agreement to support the management of natural resources in the packaging and paper industries. The parties are working hard to protect pristine forests in the Arkhangelsk region and the Republic of Komi, the last large stretches of the pristine taiga in Northwest Russia. In particular, as part of this cooperation, Mondi Group, WWF Russia, and the Silver Taiga Foundation signed an agreement to protect more than a million hectares of pristine forests in the Republic of Komi and surrounding areas.