On February 4, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia hosted an online conference "Russia - the Netherlands: Prospects for Cooperation in the Sphere of Low-Carbon Economy".
Vice-President of the CCI of Russia Vladimir Padalko and Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Russia Lionel Weir addressed the participants with welcoming words.
Vladimir Padalko informed his foreign colleagues about the preparations for the VIII Congress of the CCI of Russia, which will be held on February 26, 2021, and the special role that the foreign economic agenda plays in its preparation. Vladimir Padalko noted the increasing impact of low-carbon topics on international trade in the context of achieving sustainable development goals. In his welcoming speech, he explained that the Netherlands was chosen to host a webinar on this topic for a reason, since the country is one of the most important trade partners of Russia in Europe and pays close attention to the climate agenda due to the specifics of its geographical location.
Lionel Weir noted that Russia and the Netherlands are linked by close historical, trade and economic relations, which are confirmed by 400 Dutch companies successfully operating in Russia. The Consul General stressed that now more than ever an open dialogue is needed, which is the only way to solve joint tasks in the fight against climate change.
Low-carbon issues are especially relevant now for Russia, given the risk of an additional carbon tax from the EU and environmental trade barriers. Ekaterina Mayorova, Director of the Trade Negotiations Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, informed the participants of the event, noting that at the present stage the role of the WTO is increasing in order to prevent violation of the basic non-discriminatory basis of trade. Restructuring the economy in light of low-carbon development is taking place in different ways in Russia and the Netherlands, but 2020 showed that Russia pays great attention to climate issues and develops its legislative field in this direction.
A brief and comprehensive review of Russian legislative initiatives was presented to the participants by Oleg Pluzhnikov, a member of the CCI of Russia Committee on Nature Management and Ecology, Development Director of the National Organization for Support of Carbon Sequestration Projects.
From the Dutch side, Henk Stigter, Advisor for Agriculture of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Moscow, spoke in detail about the development of the circular economy in the agricultural sector of the Netherlands. It is in this sector that new technological and scientific solutions, innovations and experiments find their place, which allow rational use of waste management systems and manage production logistics in the most efficient way. This direction is a good example for the Russian agricultural sector and has great potential for cooperation and exchange of experience.
Martin Guit, a representative of the Administration of Rotterdam, presented the use of innovative and “green” solutions in the development of modern smart cities using the example of the city of Rotterdam, and the editor of Innovation Media Frank Donkers made a presentation on the topic “Sustainability of supply chains in a circular economy”.
Elena Medvedeva, regional representative of the CCI of Russia in Benelux and France, summing up the results, noted that the EU countries and Russia have chosen the path of low-carbon development in the difficult period of economic recovery after the pandemic. This is a great challenge for society, and now it is necessary to find the most effective ways for this, relying on best practices and bilateral cooperation.
By CCI of Russia news reports
