“Nornickel should not be considered a viable partner”: Open Letter to BASF
[W]e, the undersigned representatives of Indigenous Peoples, environmental and human rights organizations ask BASF SE not to associate in any way with nickel producer Nornickel, a company with an extensive and ongoing record of human rights violations and environmental devastation. Given BASF SE’s stated commitment to sustainable energy production, sound environmental practices, and respect for human rights, Nornickel should not be considered a viable partner...
The Nornickel mining company operates on and has caused extensive environmental damage to the territories of Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic...
Nornickel has long been a top global polluter and has caused substantial environmental damage just this year. On May 29, 2020, a Nornickel power plant failed and released 21,000 tons of diesel oil into local rivers. The spill has been devastating to the inhabitants of the region and is deemed one of the worst environmental disasters in the Arctic...
We respectfully request that you DO NOT BUY nickel, copper and other products from the Russian mining company Nornickel until the following is implemented:
- Nornickel conducts a full and independent assessment of the environmental damage of mining for nickel and other metals in Russia’s Taymyr Peninsula and Murmansk Oblast...
- Nornickel compensates indigenous communities for the damages done to their traditional way of life...
- Nornickel prepares and implements a plan for re-cultivating contaminated lands...
- Nornickel revises its policies for engaging with indigenous peoples...
As a major buyer of nickel worldwide, we urge BASF SE to continue [its] leadership role by highlighting Nornickel’s negligence and publicly refusing to buy from Nornickel while they have not complied with the environmental and human rights standards detailed in this letter...