Over the past two years alone, about a dozen models of such legislative acts have been adopted at the Tauride Palace, and in total, during the work of the IPA, over 50 documents of this type have been prepared, which have been “picked up” by national parliaments. According to the Speaker of the Federation Council and Chairman of the Council of the IPA CIS Valentina Matvienko, the northern capital not only stores standards of basic physical quantities, but also creates legislative standards for many countries.
However, it was in 2017 that serious turning points began. They are associated with the adoption of the Environmental Safety Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025 and a phased transition to a sustainable development model, which is supposed to be implemented on the basis of “green” technologies and the closed-cycle concept. Many similar programs were adopted in our country, but over time the good impulses faded away. This time this will not happen, the head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, Sergei Donskoy, is sure, since both the authorities and the business community are aware that there is no other way.
After all, we are talking not only about the health of the nation, but also about such tangible, pragmatic things as the efficiency and competitiveness of the entire economy. The environmental component becomes a priority in any significant economic model, which is confirmed by foreign experience. In the European Union, the “green industry” produces products worth 300 billion euros per year and creates 3.5 million jobs, and up to a quarter of all investments there are directed to clean technologies.
To reach these parameters, we must first make a huge leap in working with municipal waste and modernize large enterprises. These main directions of Russia's environmental strategy echo those contained in the IPA program documents. Plus the development of domestic ecotourism (its potential is estimated at 20 million people per year) and the Russian nature reserve system, the generation of renewable energy, and the elimination of garbage dumps scattered throughout all cities and villages.
The northern capital also made attempts to get closer to solving the “garbage” problem. “When we launched a project for separate waste collection in St. Petersburg, the townspeople immediately responded: they began putting glass, plastic, and paper in containers near their houses,” recalled Valentina Matvienko. “And in the morning the garbage collector came and dumped everything into one bin, which discouraged people from doing so in the future...”
There is only one reason: neither then nor today did the appropriate infrastructure appear. The recently adopted amendments to the law on the waste management system will make it possible to create it, according to participants of the Nevsky Congress. Such an integrated system in Russia is now being formed on the basis of updated territorial schemes and holistic management - a single operator will appear in several pilot regions by the end of this year.
The useful components in the waste will have to be collected and processed, turning into valuable recyclable materials, and everything else will be subject to heat treatment. Four such high-tech enterprises are planned to be built with federal funds in the Moscow region within the framework of the “Zero Waste Disposal” project, and another plant will appear in Kazan. By “absorbing” garbage without harm to nature, they will generate heat and energy, which was noted by the President’s Special Representative for Nature Conservation Sergei Ivanov.
By the end of the year, it is planned to complete the construction of alternative facilities (solar panels and the first large wind farm in Russia) with a total capacity of 125 MW. It seems like crumbs, but this is one and a half times more than was commissioned a year ago (70 MW).
Sergei Ivanov, head of the organizing committee for the Year of Ecology, outlined the total amount of investment that will be allocated to implement the relevant federal program: 347 billion rubles. Including 200 billion from extra-budgetary sources - this is mainly money from large companies planning to switch to “green” technologies in metallurgy and other “smoky” industries. Such technologies are more effective, and the state is going to encourage environmental “propensity” with tax incentives. The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation proposes to introduce, in addition, “green” bonds and preferential loans for special projects (the loan rate will not exceed 6%), create trust funds, build a system of “green” government procurement, etc.
Increased motivation will also affect the housing and communal services sector: ministerial officials announced plans in St. Petersburg to reduce utility tariffs for people sorting garbage for recyclable materials.
In matters of environmental management, the government seems to be beginning to show firmness, intending to restore order, in particular, in the timber industry. The principle “as much as it was cut down, as much as it was restored” may become dominant here. The same rule will apply during the construction of roads and power lines. Such bills are being developed, and the law on the “green belt”, according to which all large cities will be surrounded by a wall of trees, has already been adopted.
Russia is the largest country in the world, 20% of the forests of the entire earth grow here, and Baikal contains 25% of all fresh water on the planet, but this does not justify wastefulness, noted Valentina Matvienko. To develop a caring attitude towards nature, everyone needs, in her words, an environmental “inoculation” - similar to that provided by the Soviet education system with its stations for young naturalists, clubs and forest hikes.
Something similar is being revived in St. Petersburg: the ecological and biological center “Krestovsky Island”, where 1.7 thousand children study, school events, an environmental shift in the “Zerkalny” camp, etc.
When new education standards are introduced in Russia (33 models of “green” school programs have already been created), the young generation of eco-children, as young people are called in some regions, will become stronger, says First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Valentina Pereverzeva. And these are future officials, businessmen, scientists.
The Nevsky Congress contributed one of the bricks to the currently constructed “building” of Russian environmental education.
On May 28-29, 2015 in St. Petersburg, in the Tauride Palace, the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation held the VII Nevsky International Ecological Congress.
The Nevsky International Environmental Congress, held since 2008, is designed to promote the formation of an international system of environmental safety through strengthening transboundary cooperation, improving international environmental law and bringing closer the legislation of the CIS member states regulating public relations in the field of interaction between society and nature.
The theme of the Congress - “Environmental Safety Strategy: Implementation Mechanisms” - is systemic in nature and addresses issues of increasing the safety of industrial production, fostering environmentally responsible behavior, creating an environmental culture and a healthy lifestyle.
On the first day of the Congress, a number of thematic round tables were held, at which broad discussions were organized, the exchange of information and experience in implementing successful strategies and programs to ensure environmental safety, improve legislation in the field of protection and rational use of natural resources, preserve ecosystems and biodiversity, and unite efforts to mitigate the consequences of man-made environmental disasters and natural disasters.
In the afternoon, as part of the “Green Wave” campaign, congress participants restored lost trees in the Tauride Garden, making their contribution to the preservation of a unique landscape monument and to improving the environmental situation in St. Petersburg. They planted 30 linden seedlings and 40 lilac seedlings.
The landing ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the organizing committee of the congress, Chairman of the Council of the IPA CIS, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko, members of delegations of the parliaments of the CIS member states, Secretary General of the Council of the IPA CIS Alexey Sergeev, Deputy Secretaries General - representatives of national parliaments in the Interparliamentary Assembly, Senior Vice President of JSC Russian Railways Valentin Gapanovich, participants and guests of the congress.
Thanks to the campaign, a whole alley with young plants appeared in place of the lost plantings in the Tauride Garden. The organizers of the “Green Wave” campaign installed a memorial plaque indicating the date of the foundation of the alley.
On the second day, the plenary session of the VII Nevsky International Ecological Congress was held in the Duma Hall of the Tauride Palace.
The work of the meeting was headed by the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Evenny Bushmin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoy.
Valentina Matvienko read out the greeting message from the President of Russia to the participants of the event. The Chairman of the IPA CIS noted that the Nevsky Congress has become an internationally recognized, authoritative platform, which brought together more than 1,600 participants this year. From 32 countries of the world and 62 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and also emphasized that the Russian Federation is always open to interaction in the field of maintaining global environmental balance, as evidenced by the first official meeting of the ministers of environment of the BRICS member countries recently held in Moscow, Russia’s participation in UN programs and international environmental conventions.
“The urgent task is to coordinate common efforts when carrying out specific activities in the field of ecology. This is especially important in relation to transboundary natural objects. It is imperative to continue working to raise the level of environmental requirements within the framework of integration entities, primarily the Eurasian Economic Union. In the foreseeable future, it is worth moving to common comprehensive systems of environmental standards and regulations for economic activity,” said Valentina Matvienko.
Valentina Matvienko expressed confidence that the events of the Congress will set key directions for the development of environmental policy both at the national level and within the framework of international associations.
According to the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Sergei Donskoy, the holding of the Nevsky Environmental Congress, its composition, and the issues discussed confirm that ensuring environmental safety and creating favorable conditions for the life of Russians is one of the key government priorities. Sergei Donskoy recalled that Russia has adopted a number of state and federal programs that lay down the basic principles of modern environmental policy in solving environmental problems. Among the priority areas of state policy in the field of ecology, he named the elimination of environmental damage, the reduction of current negative impacts, the preservation and restoration of biodiversity and the ecological organization of the economy.
In his report, Senior Vice President of Russian Railways Valentin Gapanovich told those present about the innovative technologies that are used today on railways, minimizing damage to the environment. This is the use of a main gas turbine locomotive, the content of harmful substances in the exhaust gases of which is 5 times less than the permissible norm. Also today, the railway network uses the latest Russian shunting gas piston diesel locomotive, which also runs on liquefied natural gas and emits 4 times less harmful substances into the atmosphere than most diesel locomotives. Its use is especially relevant at transport hubs of megacities.
In addition, the company is expanding its range of renewable energy sources in stationary power generation. At the Anapa station, most of the electricity consumption is covered by solar panels installed on the roof of the station, and since last year, the heating of the station has been switched to heat pumps.
In 2015, the company is completing the implementation of a program to eliminate coal boiler houses at its facilities in the Kaliningrad region; over the past five years, 13 boiler houses have already been closed there.
Valentin Gapanovich also noted that the unique project of a combined heat supply system for the Zelenogradsk station took first place in 2014 in an international competition held by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.
The exhibition, which ran for two days as part of the congress, also featured a stand of the Russian Railways company.
01.01.2018
On May 28-29, 2015, the VII Nevsky International Ecological Congress was held in St. Petersburg. The organizers were the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and the CIS Executive Committee. The main topic of discussion was the mechanisms for implementing the environmental safety strategy.
There were six round tables within the framework of the congress.
The congress ended with a plenary session, the participants of which represented both regions of Russia and its foreign partners.
The Chairman of the Council of the IPA CIS, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matvienko, made a report at the plenary session.
She recalled that the Nevsky Congress has become an authoritative, internationally recognized platform, which this year brought together more than 1,600 participants from 32 countries and 62 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Valentina Matvienko emphasized that the Russian Federation is always open to interaction in the field of maintaining global environmental balance, as evidenced by the first official meeting of the environment ministers of the BRICS member countries recently held in Moscow, as well as Russia’s participation in UN programs and international environmental conventions. “Ensuring environmental safety is a matter of paramount vital importance. No matter how great Russia is, it is impossible to put up with the fact that about 15 percent of its territory is in an unsatisfactory ecological condition,” noted Valentina Matvienko, pointing out the relationship between complex environmental pollution and overall mortality, increased morbidity and, accordingly, significant economic losses.
Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental and Land Law of the Law Faculty of Moscow State University named after M.V. took part in the work of the congress. Lomonosov Sergey Nikolaevich Rusin. He spoke at the round table “Strategy of environmental safety of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025. Modern mechanisms for ensuring environmental safety on the territory of the Russian Federation" with the report "Problems of understanding environmental safety and the legal mechanism for its implementation."
Nevsky International Ecological Congress is a representative international forum dedicated to environmental issues.
The Nevsky International Ecological Congress is held on a regular basis and is a discussion platform for:
1. Discussions on strengthening transboundary cooperation in the field of environmental management and environmental protection, harmonization of environmental legislation of the CIS member states and member countries of the Council of Europe.
2. Exchange of information and experience in implementing successful strategies and programs to improve the environmental safety of natural resource consumption, preserve ecosystems, and mitigate the consequences of man-made environmental disasters and natural disasters associated with climate change.
3. Organization of dialogue between government authorities, parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations, business circles, educational and research institutions and the public of the CIS member states, member countries of the Council of Europe.
The first Nevsky International Environmental Congress was held on December 9, 2008 in St. Petersburg on the initiative of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS). Issues of ensuring environmental safety, preserving a favorable habitat for humans and the planet’s natural resources were discussed by more than 700 representatives from 18 countries.
At the first Nevsky Congress, an understanding was reached that ensuring environmental safety should be considered as a global task, directly related to the responsibility of various countries, organizations and every person.
On May 15, 2009, in the Tauride Palace of St. Petersburg, the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, are holding the second Nevsky International Ecological Congress.
At the plenary sessions and thematic round tables of the second congress, it is planned to hold a broad discussion on strengthening cross-border cooperation in the field of energy use and environmental protection, harmonization of environmental legislation of the CIS member states and member countries of the Council of Europe, exchange of information and experience in implementing successful strategies and programs to improve the environmental safety of energy resource consumption, preserve ecosystems, and mitigate the consequences of man-made environmental disasters and natural disasters associated with climate change.
The congress will be attended by heads of government bodies, parliamentarians, representatives of the United Nations and other international organizations, business circles, educational and research institutions, and the media.
Valentina Matvienko
V. Matvienko at the plenary session of the VII Nevsky International Ecological Congress
Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko spoke at the plenary session of the VII Nevsky International Environmental Congress. The Speaker of the Federation Council announced the welcoming message of the President of Russia to the participants of the event.
The Chairman of the Federation Council also thanked the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Sergei Donskoy, Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko, as well as the City Government for all possible support in organizing and holding the Congress.
“Global environmental security is an area in which we cannot close ourselves in “national apartments.” Ecology knows no boundaries. Only by uniting the efforts of the international community can complex environmental problems be solved,” said Valentina Matvienko.
She emphasized that our country is always open to interaction in the field of maintaining global environmental balance, as evidenced by the first official meeting of the environment ministers of the BRICS member countries recently held in Moscow, Russia’s participation in UN programs and international environmental conventions.
“Ensuring environmental safety is a matter of paramount vital importance for us. No matter how great Russia is, it is impossible to put up with the fact that about 15 percent of its territory is in an unsatisfactory ecological condition,” she pointed out. Valentina Matvienko, noting the relationship between complex environmental pollution and overall mortality, increased morbidity and, accordingly, tangible economic losses.
At the same time, according to the Chairman of the Federation Council, the situation began to change for the better. “We have seriously and systematically taken up the issues of improving environmental safety. In the field of legislation, more than fifty regulatory legal acts were adopted over the past year alone. Important laws have come into force aimed at introducing the latest technologies and creating modern methods of waste management. This year it is planned to develop laws that will contribute to the protection of the forest fund and the development of environmental auditing.”
In this regard Valentina Matvienko particularly noted the preparation of the draft Environmental Security Strategy until 2025. “This document was discussed by experts within the framework of the events of our Congress, and contains a number of specific targets in the field of reducing the environmental load on nature and improving the quality of life of citizens.”
At the same time, she emphasized that tasks in the environmental sphere must be correlated with the capabilities of the constituent entities of the Federation and municipalities, with their powers and resource availability. “In general, the ideology of environmental legislation should be structured in such a way that it is more profitable for business entities to comply with it rather than violate it. Legislation should include both tough sanctions and incentives for voluntary compliance with environmental standards and restrictions.”
According to Valentina Matvienko, during the preparation of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, environmental standards set advanced guidelines for the domestic construction industry, electric power industry, and transport: now their application should become the norm throughout Russia.
The speaker of the Federation Council touched upon some areas of work in the environmental field that require special attention. Among them, she named the formation of a mass ecological culture and a responsible attitude towards nature - ecotourism has great potential in this regard.
Another direction is the formation of a culture of waste management. As an example of an “eco-friendly” approach to organizing events Valentina Matvienko named the VII Nevsky International Ecological Congress. “During this process, we deliberately abandoned plastic utensils and installed special eco-boxes for especially hazardous household waste. This approach should be used when conducting all large-scale events.”
“Currently, work is underway both in terms of improving the regulatory framework and in terms of creating the necessary infrastructure in the regions,” she indicated Valentina Matvienko. She noted that in the development of cooperation with the CIS countries, great importance is attached to environmental issues.
“The urgent task is to coordinate common efforts when carrying out specific activities in the field of ecology. This is especially important in relation to transboundary natural objects. It is imperative to continue working to raise the level of environmental requirements within the framework of integration entities, primarily the Eurasian Economic Union. In the foreseeable future, it is worth moving to common comprehensive systems of environmental standards and business regulations,” said Valentina Matvienko.
“A strong environmental component should be present in almost all laws regulating economic activity, and not just in the field of exploitation of natural resources. The introduction of more stringent technical regulations and standards in various industries is one of the real tools for ensuring environmental safety.”
Valentina Matvienko pointed out the need to develop international coordination in the field of technological cooperation. “A global market for environmentally friendly technologies, goods and materials is now emerging. It is important for Russia, together with our foreign partners, to enter this market as a full participant.”
As one of the factors of stability and sustainable growth Valentina Matvienko called environmentally-oriented agriculture. She also noted the need for our country to reach a qualitatively new level of international cooperation in terms of research and forecasting of the environmental and climate situation, fundamental and applied scientific research.
“It is worth thinking about creating mechanisms for collective rapid response to environmental threats. It is also necessary to more actively develop mechanisms for voluntary and compulsory insurance of environmental risks.” According to the Speaker of the Federation Council, close attention should be paid to issues of ensuring nuclear safety and nuclear disarmament. For the CIS member countries, the most important task remains to ensure the technological safety of the network of nuclear power plants, storage facilities and nuclear waste processing plants. “It is necessary to intensify efforts to modernize legislation in the field of reducing the radioactive load on our countries.”
Valentina Matvienko expressed confidence that the events of the Congress will set key directions for the development of environmental policy both at the national level and within the framework of international associations.
According to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation Sergei Donskoy, the annual holding of the Nevsky Environmental Forum, its composition, and the issues discussed confirm that ensuring environmental safety and creating favorable conditions for the life of Russians is one of the key government priorities. Sergey Donskoy recalled that Russia has adopted a number of state and federal programs that lay out the basic principles of modern environmental policy in solving environmental problems. Among the priority areas of state policy in the field of ecology, he named the elimination of environmental damage, the reduction of current negative impacts, the preservation and restoration of biodiversity and the ecological organization of the economy.
“0.7 percent of funds are allocated for environmental protection measures within the state budget, which is much less than in other countries with a smaller territory and less environmental load.”
According to the Minister, the results of the Nevsky Congress will make it possible to increase the volume of investments in environmental projects and develop the most effective measures to solve environmental problems.
Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko emphasized that the Northern capital is the birthplace of environmental initiatives. He recalled that St. Petersburg was one of the first megacities in Russia to adopt an environmental policy for the period until 2030. “And today, ensuring environmental safety is concrete work to implement the decisions made.”
Minister for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief Vladimir Puchkov, in order to effectively counter natural, man-made and environmental threats, proposed, in particular, to develop a Unified State System for the Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations. “This will make it possible to implement a set of measures to protect people’s lives and health, prevent emergency situations, including environmental ones, eliminate their consequences, and reduce the scale of damage from them.”
Among the speakers during the plenary session of the Congress were representatives of foreign countries, in particular Armenia , Moldova, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Serbia, Finland, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, as well as international organizations.
The final resolution of the VII Nevsky International Environmental Congress supports the activities of the CIS IPA to strengthen cooperation in the field of nature conservation. There is also an improvement in the quality of environmental legislation in the CIS member states.
Among the speakers during the plenary session of the Congress was the head of the Department of Natural Resources Management and Environmental Protection of the City of Moscow Anton Kulbachevsky, Chairman of the Commission of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation for the development of social infrastructure, local government and housing and communal services, President of the Union of Cities of the Arctic and the Far North Igor Shpector, Chairman of the Chamber of Young Legislators under the Federation Council Victor Konopatsky, deputies of the State Duma, representatives of foreign countries, in particular Armenia, Moldova, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Serbia, Finland, Poland, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, as well as international organizations.
The organizers of the VII Nevsky International Environmental Congress were the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States, the Federation Council and the CIS Executive Committee. The main topic of discussion was the mechanisms for implementing the environmental safety strategy.
The final resolution of the VII Nevsky International Environmental Congress supports the activities of the CIS IPA to strengthen cooperation in the field of nature conservation. There is also an improvement in the quality of environmental legislation in the CIS member states.
The VII Nevsky International Ecological Congress is taking place in St. Petersburg
