Cherepovetsles is a company whose main priorities include ecological safety and environmental protection. The company systematically works at the realization of ecological policy based on the principles of sustainable forest management, efficient timber operations and proper forest maintenance.

The enterprises within "Cherepovetsles" lease more than 515 000 ha of forestland. Felling is done at only 10 000 ha annually. However the company takes responsibility for all the leased area. Such form of forest exploitation excludes unauthorized felling and other kinds of criminal activities destructive for nature.

More than 30% of felling is done using Scandinavian technology. This technology allows to make reforestation similar to natural process. Timber logging enterprises take an active part in reforestation. Annually more than 4,000 pine seedlings are transplanted. Clearing over 3 500 ha of felling areas from remainders is carried out annually, wind-fallen trees are taken away and necessary cultivation of soil is done.

In 2003 the company successfully completed the environmental audit organized by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). In August, 2004 the largest enterprise in the structure of the holding company "Belozersky LPH" became one of the first among North-Western Russian timber companies to be assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of well managed forest according to FSC international standards on a forest area of 220 thousand ha. In March, 2005, the sawmill of "Belozersky LPH" located in Niznya Mondoma successfully completed COC (Chain of Custody) certification. In May, 2005, "Cherepovetsles" completed the audit on conformity of its activity to the Standard of product chain certification 2.0 GFA, thus having closed the entire production and trading chain of FSC certificated production. At present the company is preparing for complex voluntary certification of all the enterprises incorporated into the structure of the holding company.

Activities of the company are fully approved not only by environmental departments of our customers, but also by leading environmental organizations, including "Greenpeace" and "WWF". In 2004 the company became a member of Association of Environmentally Responsible Timber Producers of Russia.

Cherepovetsles takes an active part in international projects. In 2003 the company became the participant of joint Russian-Finnish project aimed at improving the quality of economic, ecological and social aspects of timber felling. In 2004 "Belozersky LPH" presented data for estimation of social effect of timber felling on the life of local people to the experts of Finnish University. Investigations are currently in process.

In Autumn, 2005, the group of American researchers, representatives of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Buffalo University visited "Belozersky LPH" to investigate the experience of FSC-certification process

At present Cherepovetsles is one of the participants of the international project "Verifying the Legal Origin of Russian Timber" initiated by Russian and Denmark representative offices of WWF within the framework of the FLEGT process.

In 2003 "Cherepovetsles" was one of 29 Russian forest companies to take part in ecological rating initiated by the WWF and introduced in Russia for the first time by "Expert RA" rating agency. The company was ascribed "Eco-A" rating reflecting a rather high standard of environmental responsibility. In August, 2005, "Expert RA" estimated ecological rating of "Cherepovetsles" at more higher level — ecoA+ that means high level of ecological responsibility and low ecological risks

In 2005 environmental activity of the company was marked by national forest award "Lesprom.ru" for effective forest management.