Russian mining and metals companies are increasingly relying on more renewable energy to meet their energy needs, a new report from Deloitte and Climate Global Initiative Russia said.

Approximately one-third of Russian mining companies are using renewables to cover 80% of their energy demand, according to a survey distributed by the report authors. Some 70% of Russian miners report having taken measures to identify climate risks, while 50% of these companies have publicly announced their climate strategies.

Local companies have increased their use of natural gas.

Polyus Gold provided support for the survey. The company said in April that it is now using renewable energy for 100% of its energy demand.

The findings mirror a report published in the journal Climate, which found that more than 30% of Russia's leading hydrocarbon, chemical, and mining companies referenced environmental concerns in their mission statements.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a longtime denier of climate change, is reportedly changing tack as he recognizes that Europe may limit uptake of Russian oil and gas unless it embraces methods of decreasing its carbon emissions, Bloomberg reported Oct. 5.