International exhibition and forum of the best available technologies GREENTECHexpo as a platform for the dialogue between state, science and business

The International exhibition and forum of the best available technologies GREENTECHexpo was held with the official support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation November 6-9, 2018 in Crocus Expo. The event was devoted to a wide range of issues on realization of strategic tasks of the country leaders directed to green modernization of all branches of the Russian economy for improvement of quality of life of the population.

The project is designed to become an effective communication platform for representatives of the government, business community and scientific organizations, an arena for presentation of foreign and Russian environmental solutions and innovations for economy. GREENTECHexpo is held aiming to create conditions for implementation of strategic goals of the state on the development of environmentally oriented economy and is designed to become the key event of the year for green business and governmental structures.

The synergy of industrial and environmental policy, transition of the enterprises to the best available technologies (BAT), creation of an effective waste management system, ensuring environmental safety in large industrial centers, preservation of unique natural objects – these and many other topics were covered at the exposition and business parts of the exhibition and forum that completely corresponds to the tasks set in the decree of the Russian President On National Purposes and Strategic Development Challenges of the Russian Federation until 2024.

Participants

The top officials of the country, heads of federal and regional authorities and municipalities, representatives of business community, institutes of development and investment funds, scientific and public organizations and educational institutions took part in the work of the international exhibition and forum.

Various enterprises, representatives of profile ministries and departments, branch associations from different regions of Russia and also foreign countries including embassies of Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, the Republic of Korea, the DPRK and Gambia, delegations of authorities from Moscow, Sevastopol, Krasnodar Krai, the Khanty-Mansi and Yamal-Nenets autonomous areas; the Voronezh, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Kemerovo, Kursk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Samara, Tver and Tyumen regions; Republic of Tatarstan; representatives from many leading industrial corporations, research and educational entities including representatives of such large companies as UralChim, UK RUSNANO, OK RUSAL, SUEK, PAO Gazprom, PAO Norilsk Nickel MMC, Vnesheconombank, VTB, Ernst&Young, the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) Gmbh, OOO HeidelbergCement RUS, Tarkett in Russia and many others participated in the project.

Exposition

GREENTECHexpo exposition was the showcase of the best innovations and advanced green developments (high-tech eco friendly technologies, raw materials, materials and equipment), vector of development of the national BAT market and ecological services, innovative methods of increase in eco economic efficiency of production.

Projects from Belarus, Germany, and Denmark were displayed alongside with national developments in the field of green technologies. Systems of environmental monitoring, innovative technologies of water and air purification, catalysts for chemical, oil and gas industries, developments in the sphere of waste management and treatment, environmental solutions for urban administration, complex projects on automation of sophisticated technological processes for various branches of industry, Russian transport developments and others were presented within the frames of the exposition. The German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) Gmbh and Gazprom PAO presented their environmental projects and resource saving technologies directed to industry modernization, protection of climate and environment.

Business program

The business program of the exhibition and forum provided a discussion platform for open dialogue in the State – Business – Science format. It became a meeting place of developers, producers, suppliers, top managers of leading companies, investment funds, representatives of small and medium business, heads of municipal and regional authorities. More than 30 events of different formats with participation of key Russian and foreign experts: strategic sessions, plenary sessions, thematic sections, panel discussions, round tables, briefings and etc were held within GREENTECHexpo.  Coaching, business seminars and other educational events on issues related to transition to BAT were arranged for representatives of executive authorities and experts.

The strategic session Synergy of Industrial and Environmental Policy – the Driver of Green Economy Development with participation of international experts, representatives of authorities and top managers took place on the first day of the exhibition and forum. Experts of international level discussed all relevant aspects of the green economy: climate changes and international experience of regulation of emissions of greenhouse gases, mechanisms of green financing, the policy of green technologies introduction and principles of circular economy, prospect of environmental cooperation of Russia and EU, ecological ratings as a tool for sustainable development and many other things.

The International Chamber of Commerce in Russia and the Russian Ecological Society were partners of the panel discussion Attraction of Financial Resources into Green Projects: what mechanisms are more effective? Issues related to influence of the global climatic agenda on the investment and deinvestment strategy of the international investment funds, experience of use of special financial instruments of green financing in Russia and also the road map on formation of the market of green finance in our country were covered within the frames of the panel discussion.

The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation initiated and organized the open session Public Environmental Control – Honest Dialogue between Society, Power and Business which was held within the first day of the plenary sessions of the forum.

The European-Russian Business Association ERBA and the Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA held jointly the European-Russian round table Circular Economy – World Practice and Prospects of Transition. Russian experts and their colleagues from Finland and Austria exchanged views on the gaining some traction in the world idea of national economies improvement according to the principles of circular economy (economy of closed loops or cycles).

Baker McKenzie initiated and organized the introductory session Business Forecast: Can the Best Available Technologies Make for Economic Efficiency? The participants of the session expressed their opinions on the large-scale environmental reform demanding accelerated modernization of the economy taking place now in Russia.

The German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) Gmbh initiated and held business coaching Use of Alternative Fuels in the Cement Industry. The experience of German cement enterprises and industry unions connected with production and use of alternative fuel in the cement industry was presented during the business coaching.

The third day of the business program of the exhibition and forum was devoted to issues of improvement of environmental situation in cities. November 8 the Union of the Russian Cities held an introductory session Ecosystem of the Urban Environment – Global Trends and Practices. The possibilities of realization of an integrated approach to activity of people in settlements according to which a city is considered as a uniform ecosystem, and building, social infrastructure and ecological requirements were considered to be synchronized were discussed.

Need of implementation of green technologies for the construction industry in the conditions of climatic threats, growth of the population, increase in requirements to the living environment were discussed at the panel session Green Technologies for New Standards of Construction which was organized by the Greenstroy Association.

Experts also discussed problems of industrial and household waste treatment, analyzed green trends in town planning, technology of sewage treatment and improvement of drinking water quality in regions, considered the possibility of use of renewable energy in the large cities, the concept of the SmartSity interconnected system of information and communications technologies (ICT) with the Internet of things.

NP 5 Iyunia, Baker McKenzie and EcoStandard group held jointly November 9 a number of educational seminars for heads, chief environmentalists and lawyers of enterprises introducing BAT.

Partners

The International exhibition and forum of the best available technologies GREENTECHexpo 2018 was held under support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.

Official partners and organizers of the business program events were the Sustainable Energy Development Centre under the auspices of UNESCO, the St. Petersburg Cleantech Cluster for Urban Environment, the Russian Association of Water Supply and Sanitation, the Union of the Cities of Russia, iLikeGreenRu community and other organizations.

Official information partner of the project was Ecologuiya Proizvodstva (Industrial ecology) scientific and practical magazine.

The GREETECHexpo 2018 became a discussion platform where Russian and foreign enterprises demonstrated the environmentally focused policy, met authorities and discussed with them mechanisms of support of the best available technologies implementation in our country, shared experience of modernization of enterprises, studied results of green solutions introduction, obtained information on technological trends and scientific developments on greening of productions of various segments of economy. The exhibition and forum Management office would like to express their gratitude to all exhibitors, partners, speakers, moderators of the business program and also to all attendees for participation.