Download center
FAQ
ru
Sustainability Report

FAQ

Sustainability Governance

To derive 12 sustainability streams, we challenged ourselves with three key tasks: we systematized all sustainability-related initiatives and projects across Yandex and mapped them against the UN SDGs, analyzed best practices as well as current and anticipated sustainability challenges relevant to the IT industry, and engaged our stakeholders to learn what they find important and expect of Yandex. There were nearly 2,000 people surveyed and interviewed, including employees and top managers, business partners and suppliers, investors and shareholders.
As a result, we identified Yandex’s areas of expertise that have the potential to strengthen our performance and drive positive change responding to local needs, as well as to address gaps that needed to be filled with actions. These opportunities underpinned the agenda.
We understand that our stakeholders expect to see ambitious commitments, and our intentions are firm. We work to establish more definitive targets over the next years by investing in assessing our as-is performance, which is the necessary basis for quality target-setting. For sustainability streams that are new to us, we are in process of introducing systemic monitoring to know where we are, what needs to be improved, and how to approach transformation. We commit to transparently reporting on our efforts and progress, as well as sharing how we measure the results. We encourage you to follow updates on this Sustainability webpage as well access our latest Sustainability Report.
Yes. Sustainability-related initiatives are overseen by Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors. As stipulated in the Committee’s Charter, one of its core responsibilities is to review policies and initiatives related to environmental, social and governance matters. Members of the Committee approve strategic plans and get updated on the status of implementation during regular meetings (held at least quarterly).
The management board is in charge of determining Yandex’s strategic sustainability priorities, all subject to approval by the Board of Directors. Responsibility to carry out relevant projects and initiatives is delegated to the heads of business units and functions. The progress is monitored at both executive and operational levels, by the Chief Sustainability Officer, Group’s sustainability manager and heads of executing teams.
In line with corporate values of openness, equality and innovativeness, there is generally a bottom-up scenario of ideas being transformed into company-wide sustainability initiatives. A proposed project is discussed with team leaders and senior managers to be approved for upscaling. Depending on the nature of the initiative, the project might need to receive approvals from the Legal Department and other functions. Senior and top managers oversee the project’s performance, ensure cross-unit and cross-functional collaboration and provide advisory support to executing teams.
Yandex does consider possibilities of linking variable compensation directly to ESG performance indicators. However, we do not expect to introduce such KPIs within the next 12-24 months, especially due to market instability that makes us prioritize urgent matters first.
Noteworthy, our financial and operational results, which are often the KPIs for top managers, reflect corporate performance across various aspects of sustainable development. For example, revenue growth is ensured by strong performance in the areas of information security and talent attraction and retention. Relevant KPIs with respect to zero data breaches, undesirable staff turnover, traffic efficiency for transportation services, power usage effectiveness of server equipment, and some others, are set for responsible senior managers and teams.
Yes, Yandex has a standalone Yandex Group Anti-Bribery Policy. The document is not available in the public domain as of now, though can be provided upon request. Yandex’s Code of Ethics & Business Conduct also contains anti-bribery provisions.
According to the Anti-Bribery Policy, Yandex prohibits unlawful actions of:
  • Promising, offering or provision by any person, directly or indirectly, of any undue advantage to any government official for this particular official or any other person in order that this government official perform or refrain from performing certain actions in the exercise of his/her functions (active bribe);
  • Acceptance of a request or solicitation, or granting permission to anyone for accepting a request or soliciting, directly or indirectly, a government official for financial or other benefits (passive bribe);
The prohibition is not limited to monetary payments. It also covers the promise, provision, offer, or acceptance of gifts, entertainment, meals and travel, contributions in kind such as charity, opportunities of business, employment or investment, insider information usable in trading in securities or goods, personal discounts or credits, facilitation payments, assistance to or support of family members of government officials, as well as other privileges or benefits.

Sustainability Products

Given the nature of our business and its underlying mission, which is to leverage technology and innovation to improve daily lives and address social challenges, we view all our product development costs (disclosed in annual reports that can be accessed here) as sustainability-related and R&D spending. Similarly, we consider close to Yandex’s total revenue to come from social impact activities.
Here is a few examples why:
  • Our search and information services contribute to connectivity and improving access to quality information in remote areas. Advanced search algorithms that prioritize relevance and quality, standalone services such as Yandex Q, our Q&A platform with verified experts, and other information products are adding another layer of impact, which is improved safety in an online space. Online safety is considered as one of the most pressing social challenges of today, as recognized at both national and international levels.
  • Our mobility services (ride-hailing and car-sharing) drive impact in the areas of connectivity, affordability and equal access to transportation modes, as well as wellbeing. They provide affordable transportation alternatives to those who do not own a private vehicle, have no access to public transit, or prefer to avoid crowds. The latter case gained particular importance during the pandemic, with mobility services enabling people to safely commute while maintaining social distance. Noteworthy, Yandex’s ride-hailing service is blind-friendly and integrates custom accessibility settings for ride requests. A user can ask to travel with a guide dog, request sighted guidance to a car, set messaging as a preferred means of communication and more. The service is connected to the Helping Hand initiative, which draws upon service infrastructure to provide free taxi rides for people with disabilities.
  • Our foodtech services (food delivery and e-grocery) contribute to inclusion and improved nutrition. Door-to-door delivery model is convenient for people with reduced mobility, while in-app recommendations (such as healthy food categories, restaurant and menu reviews etc.) enable heathier food choices. Both Yandex Eats and Yandex Lavka services have a bill round-up feature allowing users to commit some extra payment to a charitable cause when making an order
  • With Yandex’s e-commerce service, people have access to a variety of goods, including necessity goods for which there is express delivery, while local businesses and small enterprises gain access to a wide customer base. Yandex Market serves as a single window taking care of displays of goods, customer communication and delivery management, thereby facilitating trade.
  • Our streaming services boost creativity, amplify voices and preserve cultural heritage, as well as support learning and assist with maintaining mental health. For example, Yandex Music contains a variety of educational and professional development podcasts, and generates stress-relief, meditation playlists tailored to suit individual tastes.
  • Classifieds such as Auto.ru and Realty improve reliability of used car / housing search, which is a pressing issue for those who seek affordable options. By introducing seller verification and property screening, the services increase the number of fair deals and develop a culture of accountability.
  • RouteQ and Yandex Maps help optimize routing and improve efficiency of logistics, thereby enabling carbon footprint reduction. Visit Carbon Footprint webpage for more information.
  • Yandex Business is a standalone service that focuses on supporting SMEs. By subscribing to Yandex Business, SMEs gain access to customer management tools and have their ad strategy administered by Yandex: we run analytics to determine optimal advertising scenarios and initiate ad placement. A number of revenue-generating services offer special deals as well as free-of-charge tools to SMEs. These include Yandex 360, Yandex Webmaster, web and app analytics services, Yandex Q, and many more.

Human Capital Management

Yandex values diversity and welcomes everybody who demonstrates exceptional professionalism. Diversity is supported through our long-time investment in creating equal opportunities, which is a strategic focus overseen by the Group’s HR Director.
Our hiring process is centered on evaluating candidate’s relevant skills and knowledge only, meaning that different people of different backgrounds have an equal chance to land a position. Relocation support provided to successful candidates is one of the mechanisms that contributes to maintaining decent representation of specialists with diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds.
We also acknowledge that diversity and gender equality are social challenges that need to be addressed holistically, and that gender disbalance within the company often reflects general social trends. For instance, as of 2018-2019, women made up less than a third of students enrolling in technical degree programs in Russia, meaning that the IT job market of 2022-2023 will remain male-dominated. Consequently, as opposed to targeted recruitment that serves the equality of outcome, we choose to think long term and invest in early awareness building and IT education for all, thereby encouraging more female students to pursue technical majors and then careers in IT. Visit Education for All webpage to learn more.
HR Department monitors the share of underrepresented groups in Yandex’s workforce and regularly benchmarks the results against the peer group. So far, and thanks to our substantial investment in opportunity creation, the share of women in the workforce has been on par with – and even slightly ahead of – the industry. According to recent study (Deloitte, 2021), average female representation in large technology firms was at 31.5% in 2020 and is expected to reach 33% in 2022, which is lower than the 36% of women in overall workforce that we report in 2021. The number of women in STEM roles in Yandex reached 23.3%, quite similar to an average of 23% of women in STEM roles at global IT companies as per the same study. Access our latest Sustainability Report for workforce diversity figures.
We employ top talent that values self-development and challenging environments, which is why we primarily focus on supporting professional growth and providing freedom to innovate and experiment.
Being a very diversified business, Yandex offers opportunities to work with different businesses as well as develop and upscale one’s own business ideas (through our bets and experiments program). Noteworthy, our employee performance appraisal system is tuned to evaluate the level of effort, commitment and critical thinking just as much as it evaluates the achievement of relevant KPIs. Such approach helps avoid situations where an unsuccessful undertaking directly leads to poor performance reviews. We understand that some of the ideas may not pan out – it does not mean the effort is not worthy of recognition.
We also believe that employee wellbeing, both physical and mental, is the key to high levels of engagement. In addition to competitive compensation, Yandex offers a variety of employee benefits encompassing, and not limited to, access to an extended list of healthcare services through voluntary medical insurance, home buying assistance, free sports, food allowances, and many more.
Vitis Yandex Employees webpage to learn more.
All Yandex employees are required to comply with the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, which prohibits any forms of discrimination, sets out the principles of equality, mutual respect and ethical business conduct. All employees must complete training in ethics, and are encouraged to report any observed violations. Yandex administers a confidential hotline for anonymous and non-anonymous grievance reports that is open to employees as well as parties outside of Yandex. We take each report seriously. All reports get reviewed by a designated panel that includes members of Yandex’s ethics committee, a consultation body comprised of Yandex’s CFO, Head of HR, Heads of Legal and Audit Departments reporting directly to the Board of Directors.
Yandex’s Code of Business Ethics and Conduct stipulates that Yandex respects employees’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. There is no standalone policy.

Information Security & Privacy

Yandex has a designated Information Security Department that provides oversight of cybersecurity issues and is responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable legislation and international standards, running vulnerability testing and monitoring risks, detecting and investigating incidents. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), who heads the department and is a member of the executive management team, provides a regular update to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
Data privacy issues are overseen at the executive level, by the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) who serves as an intermediary between the Information Security Department and Yandex services that handle personal data. The CPO is tasked with ensuring that user data is protected across all operations including data exchange between Yandex services, data exchange with partners and other instances.
We focus on preventive actions and have introduced a set of measures to detect and address vulnerabilities before they can pose a risk. Our team of information security specialists regularly monitors systems performance and conducts vulnerability testing to identify those that can be exploited by attacks. We also value external input and engage third parties to detect vulnerabilities through our Bug Bounty program. We regularly upgrade our cybersecurity systems and procedures to ensure they meet the most rigorous standards. Yandex services that deal with the handling, processing and storing of user data are certified to ISO 27001 and are SOC 2-compliant. Moreover, we invest in proper training: all our employees are required to complete cybersecurity and privacy training that introduces them to key responsibilities regarding data protection and teaches to identify, manage and respond to threats.
As for risk mitigation, Yandex has an Information Security Incident Management Policy that outlines specific actions to be taken in case of an incident. We have introduced a Security Operations Center (a part of the Information Security Department) that is in charge of responding to an incident: conducting internal investigations, taking corrective actions and validating them through independent audits. If the incident compromises user data, we commit to informing all affected users.
Visit Information Security & Data Privacy webpage to learn more
Yandex services that deal with the handling, processing and storing of user data undergo regular third-party audits, are certified to ISO 27001 and are SOC 2-compliant. Yandex Cloud has additional certifications that set standards for the use of cloud services, namely, ISO/IEC 27017 and ISO/IEC 27018. Yandex Cloud became the first public cloud platform in Russia and the CIS region to build its security systems in compliance with these standards. For the full list of information security certificates held by Yandex services, visit Information Security & Data Privacy webpage.
As a company that sees its mission to provide digital products that help people better navigate the online and offline world, we collect personal data to offer highly personalized services that cater to each individual user. As stated in our Privacy Policy, such data include the information users provide when creating a Yandex account (name, phone number, address etc.); electronic data such as IP address, cookies, network and device information; information about user activities while using our services, e.g., search history, likes and dislikes, purchases; geolocation information (to tailor location-specific services). We do not intentionally collect any sensitive personal data such as racial origins or political opinions. Information is collected for a specific purpose only as stated in the Section 5 of the Privacy Policy.
Yandex users can access an advanced data management tool in their Yandex ID accounts, which enables them to request a full copy of data collected about them by 70+ Yandex services, and delete personal data. Most of the data is removed from our services within 24 hours upon the receipt of the user request. If the request concerns information that is legally required to be stored for a certain period of time, we stop processing such data immediately and remove it as soon as the specified period elapses.
User rights with regard to personal data management are outlined in our Privacy Policy.
Data transfer to third parties is regulated by our Privacy Policy and only takes place if there is a legal basis for processing personal information. The legal basis spans the following: if the processing is necessary to provide the requested service, to comply with our legal or regulatory obligations, or to improve our products and service when the processing does not unduly affect our user’s fundamental rights and freedoms.
Third parties may include our partners (that support Yandex services) as well as regulatory authorities. User data is only shared with the government if there are legal grounds for that. Our legal team carefully reviews each request to determine its legitimacy. Any request that fails to comply with all relevant procedural and legal requirements is turned down. If the request is legitimate, we ensure that what we share is limited to the very data necessary to fulfill the request. In 2021, we turned down one in five requests for user information, which is in line with request approval rates demonstrated by international technology companies in their domestic markets. We report on the nature and extent of government requests for user data in our Transparency Report.

Environment & Climate

As of now, we do not have a formalized climate strategy. However, environmental & climate issues constitute priority streams of our sustainability agenda, and the commitment is there. Although we do not expect to announce targets in the following 12-24 months due to an unprecedented ambiguity in the market that occurred after February 2022, we will keep investing in a comprehensive assessment of our performance, which we believe to be an important milestone that will guide our future actions.
Visit Carbon Footprint webpage for more details on what we already measure.
When evaluating our carbon performance, we look at such metric as carbon intensity versus gross GHG emissions, and find it the most helpful to track the progress over time. With the ultimate goal to achieve a stably declining carbon intensity trend, we focus on the following:
  • Using cutting-edge infrastructure to ensure high energy efficiency of our data centers. Our newest data centers (that have been in operation for under 10 years) have been maintaining the average annual power usage efficiency (PUE) of 1.15, using four times less overhead energy (i.e., the energy used for non-computing purposes) than the global average in 2021. We also employ free cooling systems and heat recovery technologies, thereby reducing our electricity and heat consumption and eliminating the use of refrigerants. More details can be found on Energy Efficiency webpage.
  • Laying the path for the transition to carbon-free electricity supply. In 2021, we signed a PPA under which 100% of the energy needs of our data center in Mäntsälä (Finland) – and approximately 20% of the energy needs of all our data centers – were to be covered with wind power. The agreement took effect in January 2022, however, was dissolved due to the change of circumstances that occurred after February 2022. We will work to introduce renewable energy procurement schemes with other energy providers that will be open for partnership and aim to establish similar solutions for our data centers in Russia. It is our ambition to drive public-private dialogue to introduce mechanisms that will help us (and other energy consumers) operate on carbon-free energy.
  • Developing services that help improve carbon footprint. That is, for instance, RouteQ, a solution that helps optimize fleet size and reduce deadhead mileage, or Yandex Maps that give fuel-saving directions relying on vast geospacial and traffic data. These solutions are available to our users as well as used in-house by our own ride-hailing, carsharing and delivery services.
Carbon intensity figures are provided on Carbon Footprint webpage and in our Sustainability Report.
It has always been Yandex’s top priority to ensure best-in-class efficiency of our infrastructure, which is why Yandex invests in embedding the latest innovations at the stage of facility construction (including own inventions), and carries out regular upgrades to tune systems to meet the most advanced standards. For years, energy efficiency of Yandex’s data centers has already been maintained at levels that surpassed average performance of a typical data center during the same period. In 2021, average power usage effectiveness (PUE) of all our facilities equaled 1.26 versus global average of 1.57 (Uptime Institute, 2021), while Yandex’s data centers that had been in operation for upder 10 years demonstrate world’s leading PUE of 1.15. We provide more figures on Energy Efficiency webpage.
Moving forward, we aim to keep applying the most advanced techniques to every aspect of our data center energy management systems, spanning power and heat usage, heat recovery and recycling, server cooling. Our data centers already employ free cooling systems and heat recovery technologies, both contributing to reinforced efficiency, while the data center in Mäntsälä (Finland) sets a benchmark for other facilities by redirecting excess server heat to warm local households. In 2019-2021, over 61.4 thousand MWh of heat energy was reused for municipal heating, which is an equivalent of energy consumed by approximately 2,500 Finnish households (data provided by Finnish-based energy producer) for heating their homes within the three-year period.
Moreover, we will continue focusing on energy-efficient and low-power design of our servers. The hardware that is currently in operation has been manufactured to meet Yandex’s efficiency requirements. For instance, Yandex’s supercomputers, which can execute up to 3,500 tasks simultaneously and have made the list of the world's 50 most powerful supercomputers, require 1.5–2x less energy to do the same job as a computer with conventional architecture.
There are two key action areas within our own operations, one centering on optimizing the use of materials and reducing excess packaging, and the other one emphasizing circularity and the use of recycled, reused and recyclable materials. We also commit to engaging with our partners and users to jointly drive sustainable change.
Yandex Market has adopted fit-to-size rule. The service analyzes the assortment, determines the dimensions of suitable packaging alternatives, develops and regularly updates packing guidelines to ensure there is a proper balance between resource efficiency and product preservation. We may use cushioning and additional sealing for some categories of items and where it is necessary to prevent damage, though apply a different approach to products whose own package has high protective properties. For instance, our tests have proven beverage cartons and bottles to be leakproof, which is why we stopped using additional wrapping to seal caps. In December 2021 alone, excess packaging reduction measures helped save over 900,000 boxes and bags and more than 60 metric tons of packaging materials such as film, tape and void filler.
In line with the commitment set forth in Yandex’s Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, we prioritize the use of secondary raw materials and the ones that can be reused or recycled – whenever possible. 100% of Yandex Market’s delivery boxes, which is the most used packaging option, are made of certified recycled cardboard. Yandex Lavka, an e-grocery service, opted for recyclable HDPE delivery bags following an environmental life-cycle assessment, which included the analysis of recyclability of various materials in the regions of Yandex Lavka’s presence. The service also introduced packaging recommendations for suppliers and works to ensure that packaging of its private label goods can be recycled.
Moreover, all our delivery services encourage users to manage waste responsibly. We have developed recycling guidelines (RU) for different types of packaging and incorporated eco-friendly features (such as utensils opt-out) into user apps. We also survey our users to learn more about their eco habits, to inform our product development.
Visit Packaging & Waste webpage to learn more.

Content Integrity

Yandex commits to upholding human rights in an online space, and welcomes everybody to report any issues related to freedom of expression online using our confidential grievance hotline at hotline@yandex-team.ru. Each report is assigned a tracking number, and a reporter gets notified regarding the status and the outcome of the review.
While we support pluralism and respect all points of view, both popular and unpopular, we want our online resources to be an ethical space where opinions are shared in a respectful manner. Content posted on Yandex Q, the largest online expert community in Russia that services as a hub for knowledge, experience and opinion exchange, must follow the platform rules, which stipulate zero tolerance towards hate speech and any discriminatory, insulting statements.
Visit Quality Content webpage to learn more about how Yandex works with content.
No. Yandex advertising services do not place political ads.
Health-related information is an example of such content. Our search algorithms are attuned to display information from sources verified by healthcare experts. Yandex partners with a network of professional assessors who review medical information, check authors of publications for reliability, and validate that the website belongs to an accredited medical organization.
For any self-harm and violence-related queries, our search index displays self-help advice pages and snippets with support hotlines, while potentially harmful resources are automatically blocked.
Yandex blocks content that violates applicable laws as well as our content requirements. A comprehensive set of rules has been developed and published for search content, ad content (including standalone requirements for placing nonprofit ads), and content posted on Yandex Q platform.
We disclose the number of links removed from the search results as a matter of response to legally binding requests of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s mass media monitoring authority, in our Transparency Report. All users who search for content that was removed due to legal restrictions see a message explaining the grounds for content removal.
We value feedback and use it to improve the quality of our services, where quality equals high ethical standards. Users are welcome to report content violations, and can do so following the grievance procedure.
Content placed on Yandex resources that violates content rules is deleted immediately upon the receipt of a complaint. Content that is deemed controversial (where there is no certainty about violation) is blocked by Yandex, and its uploader gets notified. The uploader may either delete the material or choose to dispute the complaint by submitting a counter-statement, explaining why she or thinks the content did not infringe any rights. The content uploader and the violation reporter are then put in contact to settle the issue, and Yandex either unblocks or deletes the material after receiving the resolution from parties of the dispute. If no action is taken by the uploader, blocked materials get automatically deleted.

Service Partners

Service partner social guarantees and wellbeing initiative span a variety of support schemes, benefits and rewards.
Yandex is the first company in Russia & the CIS market to introduce a co-financed medical insurance scheme (RU) (similar to that of paid sick leave) in early 2021, to which it committed RUB 1 billion through the end of 2022. Under the scheme, eligible partners in all cities across Russia can have either 50% or 100% of their insurance costs covered by Yandex, depending on their status. Moreover, lives and health of all service partners are insured for up to RUB 2 million while they are completing orders. During the peak of the pandemic, we introduced enhanced health measures, and established a financial assistance fund that compensates partners who either contracted COVID or were exposed to COVID and had to self-quarantine. In 2021, we also compensated up to three working days to those who felt unwell after vaccination. These benefits are provided in addition to those offered by the state.
To ensure drivers and couriers get proper rest, our system restricts access to orders after 12 consecutive hours of activity in a service. We also organize resting zones in restaurants, where couriers can have free or discounted meals.
We also offer mentoring programs and free learning opportunities (RU), which is how we aim to support our service partners professional development, mental health and boost their engagement.
For the full list of initiatives, refer to our Sustainability Report and check cases on Yandex Service Partners webpage.
We prioritize physical safety of our service partners. Measures introduced by Yandex to mitigate factors that may cause road accidents include:
  • GPS-based speed monitoring and tracking of dangerous driving maneuvers;
  • Regular vehicle telechecks (inspection via photos and videos) for compliance with safety standards;
  • Training on traffic rules for bike couriers and cyclist support programs;
  • Monitoring of user feedback on driver’s compliance with safety requirements,
And some others, which you can learn about on Yandex Service Partners webpage or by accessing our Sustainability Report.
By the end of 2021, there was less than one road accident that led to an injury per 1 million kilometers of car mileage in the service. The accident rate in the service (calculated as the number of road accidents leading to injuries of vehicles that were active in the service in the week before the accident, divided by one million kilometers of mileage of the cars in the service) decreased 18% compared to 2020. Moreover, a year-on-year decline in a traffic fatality risk for a driver partnering with Yandex Go outpaces that for an average driver in Russia. For Yandex Go ride-hailing, transportation risk, which is calculated as the ratio of the number of road fatalities and total mileage or the number of vehicles, demonstrated a 21% decline in 2021 compared with 2020, while the state-wide data shows a 15% decrease over the same period.
While we always strive to place our results in a wider context, it is not always possible to benchmark Yandex Go ride-hailing performance against official road traffic statistics. The figures are sometimes incomparable, with the alignment of methodologies either appearing unfeasible or being unsuited for business purposes.
According to information disclosed by Yandex driver-partners in Russia, their monthly income either equals or is higher than the local average. In 2020, average monthly earnings of a Yandex Taxi’s partner in the city of Ryazan was reported to be RUB 80-90,000, in the city of Novosibirsk – RUB 100,000, compared to the monthly average income of RUB 35-41,000 in the given regions as per the official state statistics. In 2021, Yandex Go partners earned RUB 519 BN through the platform, which is a 76% increase from 2020.
An independent study (RUS) of earnings in 2020 revealed a similar trend for couriers: in most of Russian regions, a courier who is active in the service for 40 hours per week (an equivalent of a full-time week) makes at least 1.5 times more than the region’s average monthly income. For Vladivostok, that is RUB 79,200 (average courier earning) versus RUB 43,600 (regional average), for Ekaterinburg – RUB 50,000 vs 37,600. The exception is Moscow where the regional average is much higher (RUB 87,000). The couriers in Moscow make close to the regional average.

Community Support

Yandex focuses on leveraging its key competence, which is technology, to drive social impact. Our work is based on a set of Principles, according to one of which we continue to develop services that are not meant to or will never become profitable because we believe they are valuable to people. We prioritize three overarching community support goals:
  • Make educational services accessible to all and train high-skilled IT specialists. Yandex has been carrying out a variety of free educational initiatives for over a decade, preparing specialists for careers in IT. The initiatives also address gender equality issues by creating a learning environment in which female students are encouraged and empowered to choose majors in computer science and related fields. Learn more on Education for All webpage.
  • Leverage technical know-how to aid vulnerable groups. For that, Yandex has introduced the Helping Hand foundation (RU), which works to find the best application of Yandex products and services to support to those who need it the most. The initiative engages, for instance, Yandex Taxi service to provide free taxi rides for people with reduced mobility, and B2B services like Yandex Cloud to streamline operations of non-profits. There is also a rounding-up feature embedded into a number of Yandex services, which allows users to round up the total of their orders to the nearest 10, 50, or 100 rubles to sponsor the Helping Hand’s ongoing community support programs. Learn more on Accessible and Inclusive Environment webpage.
  • Bolster digital inclusion and improve accessibility of Yandex services for people with special needs. A number of Yandex applications and services are already adapted for blind users, Yandex Go ride-hailing app being among those. In addition to blind-friendly app interface, the service integrates custom accessibility settings for ride requests. A user can ask to travel with a guide dog, request sighted guidance to a car, set messaging as a preferred means of communication and more. Yandex also partners with hearing-impaired drivers and couriers. We continue researching the needs of various groups of users who may have trouble accessing digital services (both as a user and as a partner) and working to make our solutions inclusive. Learn more on Accessible and Inclusive Environment webpage.
Yes. Yandex has a standalone Charitable Donations Policy. The document is not available in the public domain as of now, though can be provided upon request. The policy sets out areas of donations and principles that must be followed, types and amounts of support, who can and cannot be a recipient, donation approval procedures, monitoring and auditing requirements. The Policy stipulates the company’s obligation to comply with applicable laws when making donations.
While Yandex’s educational initiatives are not-for-profit, Yandex benefits indirectly by having a pool of skilled candidates prepared for filling job positions in the company or in the broader industry. We provide practice-oriented, immersive training that introduces students to real-world tasks and professional challenges as well as helps them master tools to tackle them. Equipped with such knowledge, our students are highly likely to perform well on the job, which is why many of them choose to continue their careers at Yandex. Our data shows that employees who are our former students go through onboarding faster and demonstrate high levels of productivity from day one.
We also value competition and believe it spurs on innovation and impactful transformations. By training specialists that may later develop disruptive products, we create the environment where we can thrive by always needing to keep the bar high.
Our goal is to create products and services that will benefit all people. We therefore make our products non-exclusive, affordable, targeting various societal groups at different geographical locations. We invest in improving accessibility of our services for people with special needs, such as blind users, and partner with hearing-impaired drivers and couriers, for whom we developed adapted service applications and support tools. We have also introduced the Helping Hand foundation (RU) to leverage our service infrastructure to support not-for-profit organizations in creating opportunities for disadvantaged groups. You can find more information on Accessible and Inclusive Environment webpage and in our latest Sustainability Report.