MTS implements long-term social investment programs focused on achieving sustainable positive changes in society and characterized by the active use of engaging mechanics and the participation of a wide pool of representatives of local expert and professional communities, as well as volunteers.
Social Investment Principles of MTS
Continuity and Sustainability
The Company focuses its ESG efforts on implementing the National Goals, the UN SDGs in the areas most complementary to the business strategy
Versatility
Efficient solving of social problems using high-tech services and our own ecosystem expert knowledge
Public Involvement
Each citizen has the opportunity to make a personal contribution, together with MTS, to solve relevant community problems hereby helping to implement long-term, targeted programs of the highest quality in synergy with society
Partnership
MTS develops the practice of partnership and cross-sector interaction, thus achieving synergy of interests in settling social issues
Localization
We tailor our initiatives point by point at the local level considering the context and needs of a particular region
Efficiency
We determine a system of KPIs for social programs and monitor the KPI implementation on a regular basis
All areas of MTS social programs have a digital basis — we engineer, integrate and provide various services and solutions to develop society areas.
More detailed information is available in the MTS Group Sustainability Report for 2023: chapter “Corporate Social Responsibility”, section “Local Communities”
Social Investment Areas of MTS
Education
Children and youth intellectual and creative development
Health and Wellness
Support for socially vulnerable groups of the population, businesses and local communities
Culture
Preservation, promotion of unique cultural values
Inclusion
Support for developing an inclusive environment
Digital Enlightenment
Increased level of financial literacy and training of population in the correct use of modern technologies
Environment
Environmental protection, ecotourism development and environmental enlightenment
Supporting Digital Development of Communities
MTS considers the matters of developing the territories of operation in a comprehensive paradigm of supporting social, economic, cultural, financial and economic, investment and other areas. The MTS strategic goal in social investment is to improve the quality of life of various communities by providing a wide range of digital services and developing innovations.
Digital Projects for Independent Travel
In 2023, we placed a special emphasis on developing digital tools for active and safe independent travel. This allows preserving the history of places, discovering new opportunities and increasing the accessibility of domestic tourism.
Audio Guides to Tourist Places
A project promoting the development of domestic tourism through digital services with unique content. Within the project, MTS engages local population, that is, enthusiasts, local history experts, historians and journalists, in the creation of “people’s” digital audio guides. To date, MTS has created 84 guides in the regions of the country that already used by 900 thousand people. In addition to traditional walking tours, we offer unusual car and water routes; all routes are free of charge and available on the MTS Live digital platform.
Power Place Project
MTS helps national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and urban areas to identify opportunities for using innovative technologies (including video surveillance with elements of AI and Big Data) and the MTS ecosystem products for environmental enlightenment, tourism development, unique flora and fauna preservation, as well as ensuring the safety of protected areas. In 2023, 18 socially useful digital products (VR films, audio guides, digitized content for museums, educational materials with AR elements) were created.
Support for IT Education
We understand the importance of helping society adapt to new realities and find opportunities for development in the digital environment, therefore the creation of high-quality educational tools for various audiences is one of MTS priorities.
MTS.Theta
Free educational courses for IT experts of various levels of training. We share knowledge to create digital leaders. Within MTS.Theta, the Company also launches joint educational programs with leading institutes of higher education and courses for the ecosystem employees who are interested in career growth or a change of activity. Participants complete their training based on real cases, surrounded by a strong community and supported by dedicated experts. In 2023, additional courses for different technology stacks, including the courses on QA and Flutter, were launched. In total, several thousand students completed MTS.Theta educational programs in 2023. The best students get the opportunity to join the IT team at MTS.
Cooperation with Institutions of Higher Education
In 2023, we went on developing joint educational projects and master’s degree programs with leading Russian institutions of higher education.
Digital Enlightenment
MTS tends to create conditions for increasing digital and financial literacy in society. It is important for us that every society member gets access to the technologies and opportunities of the modern world. MTS implements projects to improve digital literacy for completely different age groups.
Projects for Children and Teenagers
- “Generation M” is Russia’s largest educational platform created by the MTS digital ecosystem to develop children’s creativity in the digital environment. With IT technologies, the project participants complete educational courses in various creative disciplines guided by experienced teachers, experts in art, technical, IT and creative industries, as well as develop important soft skills. “Generation M” allows gaining the first practical experience of interacting with digital technologies in a creative environment: work with real issues, try oneself in popular creative jobs. The Generation M program is included in the number of global practices recognized by the UN as advanced in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
- MTS, along with the largest companies operating in the field of information technology, is a co-founder of the Alliance for Protecting Children in the Digital Environment. The goal of the Alliance is to facilitate creating a safe and healthy digital space for children where they can have fun online, develop cyber literacy knowledge and communicate online without the risk of being exposed to dangerous or illegal information.
- In 2023, MTS implemented the enlightenment project “My Country “SvyaziYa”. Thanks to the project, students from social institutions learn about the evolution of communication technologies and jobs of the future, and take workshops on cybersecurity, digital hygiene and design of a smart home of the future.
MTS Media Enlightenment Projects
The MTS Media online platform — media.mts.ru — posts informative, educational and helpful content. The publications are primarily targeted at improving digital literacy, as well as at information and applied assistance in understanding technological transformation.
Financial Literacy
MTS FinTech helps build a conscious and responsible approach to creating a personal and family budget, as well as teaches digital hygiene and the use of modern online financial services. To combat digital ignorance, MTS FinTech conducts workshops, trainings, lessons and other enlightenment programs for a wide audience of all ages in online and offline formats, as well as develops the enlightenment project “Financial Literacy for Everyone!”.
Environmental Enlightenment Programs
Popularization of the culture of conscious consumption, ecology, development of eco-volunteering and ecotourism is carried out, also thanks to modern digital technology. The MTS educational and enlightenment content reach on environmental issues in online and offline formats is more than 2 million people.
Charitable Activities
The charitable activities of the MTS Group are a continuation of the Company business strategy and social strategy and are governed by the Policy “MTS Charitable Activities”. The document defines the basic principles for planning and implementing charitable activities of the MTS Group, and fixes the rights and obligations of the Company employees and units to the extent of such activities.
Principles of MTS Charitable Activities
- Legality and ethics
- System approach
- Openness and transparency
- Zero tolerance towards any manifestations of corruption
- Political indifference
- Control of using funds
Charity Management at MTS
Important elements of managing the MTS Group social and charitable activities:
- The Supervisory Board for Charity is a collegial body that includes Company’s top managers. The Supervisory Board for Charity controls charitable activities of the MTS Group, approves the annual plan and budget for charitable activities, as well as approves charitable projects.
- The Center for Social and Charity Programs is engaged in development, operational implementation and promotion of MTS social and charity programs and partner initiatives.
In 2023, we continued active cooperation with charities and other non-profit organizations. A significant part of charitable activities of MTS is carried out thanks to donations to the Sistema charity foundation. This model promotes resource synergy and larger-scale of project implementation, including through association with other foundation philanthropists. Cooperation and expert support of MTS also contribute to the development of the flagship educational project of the Sistema Charity Foundation, “Elevator to the Future,” an all-Russian career guidance platform that helps improve career opportunities for the residents of all ages.
Key Charity Projects of the MTS Group in 2023:
- MTS. IT CONCERNS US is an end-to-end product that introduces charitable practices into the Company’s ecosystem and encourages users to join in solving social problems. In 2023, a media platform was launched to maintain knowledge about charity and effective assistance — https://kasaetsya.mts.ru/, and a Cashback Program was implemented, under which MTS Cashback users wrote off 20.7 million rubles in favor of charitable foundations during the reporting year.
- GIVE GOOD! PROGRAM is a program of targeted assistance to dangerously ill children that MTS implements in partnership with charity foundations. All digital activities of users of the MTS Generation M digital platform are converted into money, which the Company annually transfers to treat dangerously ill children. Within Generation M, more than RUB 24 million were collected that are transferred to treat 86 children.