Coal Mining in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia

In Kemerovo Oblast, West Siberia, the coal-mining industry is extracting “black gold” while destroying the environment and the rich traditional culture and natural resource management of the Shorts and the Teleut– two of Russia’s small numbered indigenous peoples. The development of resource-intensive industries in Kemerovo Oblast has high environmental costs, including the deterioration of land, the production of enormous amounts of industrial waste, environmental pollution with emissions and discharges from smelting, and a reduction in the biodiversity. The worst affected are the indigenous communities, whose livelihood still largely depend on the rivers and other natural resources. So far they have never been consulted nor compensated for their losses. This briefing note produced by the russian indigenous organisation RAIPON informs about this situation and urges, European countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, Germany,Poland, and Denmark, who are the main consumers of coal from Kemerovo Oblast to address these human rights violations and promote enhanced corporate responsibility.