The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 20th St Petersburg International Economic Forum, and was attended by the governors of regions that are actively carrying out environmental projects, as well as representatives of the scientific and expert community, businesses and relevant federal executive agencies.
Chelyabinsk Region Governor Boris Dubrovsky, who heads the working group, briefed the participants on the goals facing the group in preparing a report for the State Council meeting in December.
The State Council meeting will launch the implementation of measures at the federal, regional and local level in 2017, the Year of Ecology and the Year of Specially Protected Natural Areas.
The discussion covered the concept of the report and its main parts. Participants noted that in reviewing ecological matters, it is important not only to focus on current issues but also “to look beyond the horizon.” With this aim in view, the authors of the report should analyse Russia’s place and role in the global ecological agenda and the current state of the environment in order to formulate goals for a balanced environmental development to be achieved by the middle of the 21st century, by 2050, and to map out ways of achieving them.
They emphasised that the working group should analyse the practice of enacting environmental legislation at the federal and regional level and assess the efficiency of the current administrative, economic, and information mechanisms. It should also draft proposals on achieving long-term goals related to Russia’s environmental development for the sake of future generations.