Russian mining company Nornickel has begun a large-scale biodiversity study to assess and define its environmental impact across its operations.

The company said the research would be carried by scientists from the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and would cover the exploration, mining, production, transport, logistics, and energy facilities of its Norilsk, Kola and Trans-Baikal divisions.

The analysis will focus on defining the current biodiversity situation, identifying local indicators and endangered species, and pinning down any potential biodiversity threats posed by the company's production facilities.

The study will start with a series of on-site studies of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including visual inspection sample collection followed by physical, chemical and combined analysis of samples.

Stanislav Seleznev, Nornickel vice president for Ecology and Industrial Safety, said the study would be "unprecedented in scale and make a substantial contribution to science while also building a foundation for a corporate system to manage biodiversity impact."

Viktor Glupov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, commented: "Biodiversity lies at the heart of all ecosystems and life itself.

"It is crucial that major industry players like Nornickel recognise its importance and support Russian science community and biodiversity studies across the country."

In December 2021, Nornickel unveiled a methodology and model for calculating the carbon of all its manufactured products, saying it has a duty as a metals producer to cut emissions.