Conference in Arkhangelsk to Discuss Waste and Microplastics in Arctic

The Conference on Waste and the Problem of Microplastics in the Arctic will take place on 20 July in Arkhangelsk as part of the plan for the main events of Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023. Chairmanship events are being operated by the Roscongress Foundation. The conference will be held at the Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University.

The event will be attended by more than a hundred experts and the heads of relevant organizations and agencies. Some of those expected to speak at the event include Alexander Tsybulsky, Governor of Arkhangelsk Oblast; Artur Chilingarov, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic; Dmitry Tetenkin, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation; Soslan Abisalov, Director of the Infrastructure Development Department of the Russian Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic; Nikolay Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials at the Arctic Council, and Federation Council Representatives Alexey Mayorov and Alexander Akimov.

The conference will include three sessions addressing various aspects of Arctic ecology. Participants of ‘Waste Reform in Arctic Conditions: From Discussion to Effective Solutions and the Problem of Cumulative Environmental Damage’ will discuss problems associated with implementing the Ecology National Project, waste management in the Arctic, and the elimination of cumulative environmental damage among other things. Experts will discuss best practices in municipal waste management and the implementation of international environmental conventions and protocols at the session on ‘Russian State Environmental Policy in the Arctic and International Cooperation’. Some of the main issues up for consideration during the session on ‘Conserving and Developing Marine and Coastal Ecosystems: The Problem of Microplastics in the Arctic’ will include: managing plastic waste in the region, eliminating marine pollution, and other aspects of synthetic polymer particle proliferation.

Environmental protection, including climate change, is a priority of Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023. Given the rapid nature of the change to the climate in the Arctic, as evidenced by permafrost degradation and gas hydrate emissions, Russia considers tasks of primary importance in the struggle to mitigate the negative effects of climate change to include: increasing adaptability and resilience to its effects, conserving and restoring the environment, using natural resources sustainably, maintaining the health of Arctic ecosystems, including the marine environment, and conserving biodiversity, especially in respect to migratory bird species.

An online webcast of the event will be available on the official website of the Russian Presidency at: https://arctic-council-russia.ru/events/izmenenie-klimata-i-ekologiya-arktiki/konferentsiya-po-otkhodam-i-probleme-mikroplastika-v-arktike/

Reference information:

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