On November 12, 2020, the session «Green Growth Strategy: Ensuring Environmental Modernization of the National Economy» was held as part of the «Strong Ideas for a New Time» forum of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI). The current problems of ecology and the growing anthropogenic load on natural ecosystems have determined the topic of the session. These challenges force most countries of the world, including Russia, to rethink their economic strategies in favor of environmentally oriented development.
The session participants touched upon such important topics of green growth as the preservation of natural capital and ecosystems, green investments, the transition to conscious consumption and the introduction of alternative energy sources, the social justice and the inclusiveness of the green economy for local communities, the use of green technologies, etc.
Anastasia Tsvetkova, General Director of Lake Baikal Foundation, in her speech focused on the importance of developing a resource-saving approach in the economy, as well as on the great potential for the development of bioeconomy in Russia. In particular, the high rates of biodiversity and endemism make the Baikal natural territory an extremely promising base for the development of biomedicine, biopharmaceuticals, aquaculture, new approaches to environmental monitoring, etc. The development of the bioeconomy will provide an opportunity to develop the region sustainably, create jobs, use renewable resources with the prospect of entering the real global economic markets. The Foundation supports projects of biotechnological solutions conducted at the Research Institute of Biology, Irkutsk State University, as well as implements its own initiatives within the framework of the economic development of the region with an approach of resource and natural capital conservation. As Anastasia Tsvetkova notes, in this context, the triangular model of partnership «Business-State-Public» is especially important.
Along with Anastasia Tsvetkova, speakers at the session were Richard Damania (Lead Economist, World Bank Group), Mikhail Babenko (Director of the Green Economy Program, WWF), Svetlana Bik (Director of Strategic Development, Head of Green Eurasia, Scientific Center for Eurasian Integration), Alexander Lebedev (Chairman of the Board of Directors, National Reserve Corporation LLC), Alexey Miroshnichenko (Deputy Chairman, Board Member, State Development Corporation VEB.RF), Vladimir Solodov (Governor of the Kamchatka Territory). The session was moderated by Pavel Luksha, founder of the Global Future of Education Initiative; Professor of Practice, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO.
The recording of the session «Green Growth Strategy: Ensuring Environmental Modernization of the National Economy», as well as other sessions within the ASI forum, is available here (in Russian only).