The results of the BRICS 250 Index compiled by the international analytical publication World Economic Journal (Hong Kong, China) were presented at the forum ‘Cloud Cities. Forum on the Future of BRICS Countries’; Moscow took the third place in the rating of the headquarters of the leading BRICS companies, behind Beijing and Abu Dhabi, according to the Forum's press service.

The BRICS 250 Index consists of two parts. The first is a rating of BRICS companies, which evaluates technology companies of the BRICS countries by their potential to create new technologies, dynamism, innovation and sustainability of development, its strategic orientation (primarily expressed in ESG and CSR strategies). The companies' position in the rating was influenced, for example, by such factors as the share of investments in research and development, high technologies, as well as decisions related to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and compliance with the ESG principles. The companies' adherence to the principles of responsible investment, involvement in the issues of renewable energy generation, carbon footprint reduction, and waste recycling were also important.

According to the press service, the second part of the study is a ranking of BRICS cities ranked by the number of companies included in the first block of the index. According to the World Economic Journal, the main goal of the study is to create a kind of cognitive map of the leading hubs of the BRICS business ecosystem and to identify the leading sustainable development companies that apply advanced technologies to improve the quality of life of people. However, according to the authors, the index also pursues another goal: it is designed to draw the attention of businesses to the importance of values such as openness and responsibility - not only to their employees, but also to the people of cities and entire countries.

Naspers, a media group from South Africa, took the first place in the ranking of companies. The company pays special attention to reducing carbon emissions, improving privacy and data security. Second place went to China's Tencent Holdings ltd, which invests in high-tech industries including autonomous transport, quantum computing and healthcare technology. Rounding out the top three was Brazilian bank Itau Unibanco. The company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, investing in green projects in Brazil and beyond.

Among Russian companies, the BRICS-250 Index includes: Sber, ranked 15th, Yandex is in 26th place, Rostelecom is in 30th position, and VTB is in 35th position. The rating also includes Vkontakte, MOEX, Rosneft, X5group and a number of other Russian companies.

The large number of innovative companies implementing the sustainable development agenda on the territory of a megacity reflects the general state of the local business environment and the commitment of cities to transformations to improve the lives of citizens.

For example, the leader of the rating among cities - Beijing - has a higher overall score for both parameters. In turn, Abu Dhabi's high score is due to the concentrated location of headquarters of promising companies, including many tech startups, indicating a higher density of the business ecosystem.

‘The authors of the study placed Moscow in third place in the ranking of cities. The Russian capital is home to a number of business ranking leaders that demonstrate both solid financial results and a commitment to technological sustainable development. At the same time, according to the World Economic Journal, the city is implementing a number of municipal programmes and projects based on the principles of sustainable development. Among the priorities of Moscow are increasing energy efficiency of the city infrastructure, introduction of advanced technological solutions into the city economy, the creation of which innovative companies are engaged in, including with the support of the Moscow Innovation Cluster’, - stated in the message.

According to World Economic Journal analysts, despite the geopolitical situation, the Russian capital consistently adheres to the principles of sustainable development.

The BRICS 250 Index is compiled by the World Economic Journal (Hong Kong, China), an international analytical publication established in 2009 to highlight key trends in the global economy with a focus on the BRICS countries.

Source: https://ria.ru/20240918/moskva--1973476185.html