Transcript Presentation of the WGE

BARENTS EURO-ARCTIC COUNCIL
WORKING GROUP ON ENVIRONMENT
Russian Chairmanship
2014-2015
Maria Dronova
WGE Chair
BEAC 12th Meeting of the Ministers of the Environment
Sortavala 24-25 November, 2015
• Reports by Working group on environment Chair,
Regional Working group on environment Chair and Chairs
of Subgroups
• Separate sections on prioritized themes :
Barents Environmental Hot Spots
Nature protection
Implementation of the Action Plan on Climate
Change
• Adoption of the Ministerial declaration
• Chairmanship of the WGE transferred from Russia to
Norway
Russian chairmanship in WGE
• Continuing the work in the five core thematic areas
Barents Environmental Hot Spots
Cleaner Production and Environmentally Sound Consumption
Nature Protection
Water issues
Climate change
• Focus on implementation of practical measures and enhancement of regional
engagement
• WGE had 4 meetings during two years: Petrozavodsk (April,2014), Arkhangelsk
(December, 2014), Naryan-Mar (June, 2015) and Syktyvkar (November, 2015)
Subgroup meetings were held back-to-back.
Subgroup on Environmental Hot Spots
•Implemention of the Hot Spot exclusion procedure at the remaining 36
Hot Spots in the Russian part of the Barents region
•Promotion of the development and implementation of relevant
investment projects
Continuation of the close co-operation with the IFIs
•Strengthening the regional involvement
Introduction of the new meeting format with the aim to promote hot
spot exclusion: extended Hot Spot meetings in the regions with the
participation of WGE SHE, WGE CPESC, regional hot spot exclusion groups,
hot spot owners and international financing institutions
Hot spots excluded at the 12th Ministerial Meeting in
Sortavala 2015
A3-2 – Severodvinsk Heat and Power Plant (Plant №2)
K4 – Drinking Water in Petrozavodsk
Ko3-1 – Mondi Pulp and Paper Mill in Syktyvkar (Air)
Subgroup on Cleaner Production and Environmentally
Sound Consumption
• project on education aimed at integration of training on cleaner
production and environmentally sound consumption in universities within
the Barents region and promotion of sustainable consumption and
production patterns
• promotion of the sectoral approach in hot spots exclusion process
• dissemination of information on best environmental practices (BEP), best
available techniques (BAT)
Nature Protection Subgroup
• Finalization of the Strategy on Conservation of intact forests in the
Barents Region
• Barents Protected Areas Network
• 8th Habitat Contact Forum in Russia (September, 2015)
Subgroup on Water Issues and Regional working group
on environment
• Regional WGE has the following principals item in their action plan (201315): surface and drinking waters, biodiversity, metals and mining,
awareness and information
• 4 ENPI/Interreg Nord -financed projects have been finalised
Ground water supply in Sortavala district
Forestry impact and water management in Torne International River
Basin
Trilateral cooperation on our common resource the Atlantic salmon in
the Barents region
Trilateral cooperation on Environmental Challenges in the Joint Border
Area
Implementation of the Action Plan on Climate Change
for the Barents Region
-
Climate change mitigation
Adaptation to climate change
Research, observations, monitoring and modeling
Outreach
Overarching activity – Development of regional climate change strategies
Review of the Action Plan
Sustainable development is a goal of the Barents co-operation
-> continued attention to threats from climate change is needed
• Action Plan is a useful tool, updating is required
• Time frame: update 2016, activities for 3-4 years
• Involvement of BEAC Working Groups in updating process,
• Coordination by IBS
Interaction with the other regional organizations
• Close cooperation with NEFCO and NDEP at the hot spots exclusion
process
• Arctic Council 2015-2016 – chairmanship of USA has many priorities
that are close to BEAC WGE topics: e.g. black carbon, community
sanitation, freshwater security
• Arctic Contamination Action Programme: e.g. dioxines in Arkhangelsk
oblast
• Arctic Council PSI (NEFCO hosts)
.
Thank you
[email protected]
Ministry of natural resources and environment of the Russian Federation