Climate change and the interaction of industry and science have become the main topics of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference named after A. I. Shchepovskikh
Today, the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference named after A. I. Shchepovskikh "Industrial ecology and safety" took place on the sidelines of the Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum-2024.
The scientific discussions were attended by Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexander Shadrikov, Deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, Head of the Russian Ecological Society for the Republic of Tatarstan Azat Ziganshin, Head of Ecology of SIBUR LLC Alexey Zarichny, Head of the Department for the Use of Subsoil, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Faskhutdinov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Institute of Ecology and Subsoil Use of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Dmitry Ivanov, representatives of industrial enterprises, scientific organizations from the regions of the Russian Federation, university students and other invited guests. The business program of the meeting was focused on discussing new approaches and innovative domestic developments in the field of industrial decarbonization.
The conference was held on 3 topics, discussions were divided into 3 round tables, it was possible to join both in person and online format.
Minister of Ecology of Tatarstan Alexander Shadrikov addressed the participants of the conference with a welcoming speech. He recalled that the conference named after A. I. Shchepovskikh has been held for the 19th time and the next meeting in 2025 will be an anniversary one. The head of the Environmental protection Department emphasized that within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia, announced by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the Head of Tatarstan, Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov in his message to the State Council of the Republic, declared 2024 the Year of Scientific and Technological Development in Tatarstan.
"Scientific and Technical Councils on ecology and subsoil use have been established under the Ministry, which include leading specialists-scientists of Tatarstan, as well as representatives of the industrial sector. The most significant projects that require expert consideration to solve certain environmental problems are submitted to the meetings. To expand scientific support, we have been cooperating with the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Global Environmental Problems since 2021," the speaker told about the scientific directions in the Ministry's activities and gave the floor to the Scientific Secretary of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on Global Environmental Problems, Doctor of Geographical Sciences Nina Alexandrovna Zaitseva. She conveyed the best wishes to the participants of the meeting from the Chairman of the Scientific Council, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Stepan Nikolaevich Kalmykov and noted that the main topic of the conference is very interesting and at the same time very difficult. "Firstly, as a professional climatologist, I believe that this problem of climate change in relation to ecology is still very unknown... Everyone should understand, every person living on Earth, that we have incredibly polluted our planet. There's plastic and all kinds of waste. Suffice it to say that, for example, the industrial ecology that you will discuss, the ratio of household and industrial waste according to the data that we have is 80 million tons against 8 billion tons," Nina Alexandrovna cited statistics.
Reports and presentations at the conference were made by representatives of enterprises of the Russian Federation, scientific institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Republic of Tatarstan and heads of environmental protection agencies of Russia.
As Alexander Shadrikov noted, since 2021, Russia has been conducting an experiment to achieve carbon neutrality in one particular region – the Sakhalin Region.
The location of the first climate experiment was not chosen by chance: the closeness of the Sakhalin Island ecosystem, a rather low density and population with very large areas of forests, and the difference between emissions and absorption of greenhouse gases is small.
Maria Larionova, Acting Director of the Department of Climate Policy and Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development of the Sakhalin Region, told the conference participants in more detail about "Conducting an experiment to limit greenhouse gas emissions in the Sakhalin Region".
The director of the Scientific and Technical Center "Environment" of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Metrology named after D. I. Mendeleev Roman Rodin spoke about the use of an automatic control system for greenhouse gas emissions, which will solve many environmental and regulatory issues within the framework of environmental sustainability and help in reducing emissions.
Climate projects also play a significant role in the market. Today, 35 of them have already been registered in the Russian Federation, and 40% of them are being implemented in Tatarstan with the production of more than 8 million carbon units (this is 10% of the total Russian portfolio). In 2024, SIBUR registered 5 new climate projects in the Russian carbon registry. Two of which are being implemented in the Republic of Tatarstan, in the city of Nizhnekamsk.
Tatyana Romanenkova, Acting Director of the Climate Initiatives and Carbon Regulation Function of Sibur LLC, presented a report on the climate projects of SIBUR LLC and the prospect of their further development.
A year ago, the Republic of Tatarstan approved a plan for adaptation to climate change, which is planned to ensure environmental well-being and improve the situation on the territory of Tatarstan, which means ensuring the rational use of natural resources, attracting enterprises to introduce environmentally friendly technologies, and forming a responsible attitude to nature among residents.
Maria Kozhevnikova, Deputy Director for Scientific Activities at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management of Kazan Federal University, told in more detail "About the prospects for implementing the climate change adaptation plan in the Republic of Tatarstan". She noted that over the past 50 years, the average temperature in Russia has increased by 2.5 degrees, winters have become milder, there is less rain, but they have become longer and with thunderstorms, hail and even tornadoes. And every year these phenomena can become even more intense. Such climate changes are already a given, and in order to look for joint solutions to possible environmental problems, it is important to learn how to model the weather situation, create a spatial basis with a close dialogue between government and science.
It should be noted that the entire business program of the conference was aimed at presenting the current progressive technologies and developments that are used or will be used to solve issues in the field of environmental protection and resource conservation.
Following the results of the conference, the participants who presented the best works were awarded diplomas and medals of Anatoly Ivanovich Shchepovskikh. The director of the scientific and technical center "Environment of FSUE "VNIIM named after D. I. Mendeleev" Roman Rodin, Head of the Chemical Technology Department of the Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences Igor Sedov and Head of the Department of Mining Ecology of the Institute of Problems of Integrated Subsoil Development of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Irina Shadrunova were awarded. The diploma of the participant was also presented to Maria Kozhevnikova, Deputy Director for Scientific Activities of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management of the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University.