Sergey Korotkov discussed the prospects for the transition to a "green" economy at the XII International Forum "Ecology"

May 26, 2021

Sergey Korotkov discussed the prospects for the transition to a

On May 24-25, 2021, the XII International Forum „Ecology“ was held in Moscow. The event was supported by the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on ecology and environmental protection, the Federation Council, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation and other executive authorities. More than 1,500 people from 80 regions of Russia and 10 foreign countries take part in the Forum annually.

The forum participants discussed issues of state regulation and business initiatives in the field of industrial ecology. The moderator of the working session was Natalia Sokolova, chairman of the board of ANO „Ravnopravie“.

Sergey Korotkov, Director of the Centre for International Industrial Cooperation in the Russian Federation (ITPO Russia), made a presentation on the role and capabilities of UNIDO in shaping technological industrial policy and organizing a circular economy. He spoke about UNIDO tools and programs in the circular economy, in particular, he mentioned the UNIDO Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Program, which helps companies to increase productivity and resource efficiency, thereby reducing costs and pollution prevention, and low-carbon manufacturing and industrial park programs, as well as the launch of UNIDO’s Creative Hub in Ethiopia to support creative industries and entrepreneurship.

Sergey Korotkov discussed the prospects for the transition to a

Vice-President of the All-Russian Union of Insurers Svetlana Gusar in her speech noted the importance of improving the insurance system in the field of environmental management and environmental protection, in particular, the development of voluntary insurance of environmental risks by enterprises. This approach will help reduce the likelihood of accidents. Examples of incentives for the development of environmental insurance are a decrease in the tax burden for enterprises, a decrease in fees for excess environmental pollution for business entities by the amount of the insurance premium.

Rosstat, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, is working on the introduction of natural and economic accounting accounts. Marina Klevakina, Deputy Head of the Department of the Federal State Statistics Service, spoke about this at the session. She noted that the share of environmental taxes and payments in the budget in Russia is between 3 and 6 percent, which is comparable to the trend observed in European countries.

Another key issue of the section was the discussion of improving the integrated system for handling hazardous waste. Alexander Pesterev, head of the federal infrastructure of Duracell Russia, spoke about the creation of infrastructure for the collection and disposal of batteries. He said that more than 2.5 thousand waste collection points for Duracell batteries have been created in Russia. This made it possible to collect 1200 tons of batteries in 2020 in 85 regions. In addition, school events and battery collection weeks were held in 40 cities across the country.

Among the other main issues on the agenda were the development of control over emissions and discharges, corporate projects to reduce the impact on the environment, the modernization of enterprises and the introduction of eco-technologies, the introduction of eco-standards at enterprises. The session partner was Shchekinoazot OJSC.

The Forum will result in a resolution with the initiatives and recommendations of the event participants dedicated to improving the environmental situation in the country, which is sent to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, relevant ministries and departments to identify the most significant environmental problems for society, develop solutions for the gradual entry of the country into the green economy and incorporating best practices into work.