On October 1-2, the first eco-summit «Siberian Perspective» was held in Krasnoyarsk, the main topics of which were the conservation of biodiversity in the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda and the role of corporate volunteerism in the implementation of the eco-strategy of business. The event was attended by more than 50 experts from Russia and abroad, who represented the business community, the non-profit sector, the scientific environment, specially protected natural areas and volunteer movements.
At the event, Lake Baikal Foundation was represented by Evgenia Yelkina, Project Manager. Evgenia held an expert table on the topic «Practical cases of systemic cooperation between business and public organizations for the sustainable development of protected areas», in which she shared her experience of successful cooperation on projects of the Baikal Initiative Foundation and the Baikal Conservation School, as well as on the Trash Free National Paarks program. The discussion was attended by representatives of protected areas from the Zabaikalsky Territory, Murmansk and Kaluga Regions and the Altai Republic. The participants of the expert table were particularly interested in the Trash Free National Parks program and the practice of implementing a system of separate waste collection and the principles of sustainable tourism in natural areas.
The distinctive features of all the presented practices are that their implementation became possible thanks to the financial and ideological contribution of corporate partners and the initiative of natural territories. It is important that as a result of the implementation of projects, communities are created — scientific, protected, nature conservation — for the conservation and sustainable development of unique territories and natural objects. These practices are fully replicated and adaptable to the local features of natural territories in the Baikal region and Russia as a whole. The Foundation is ready to cooperate in these and other areas of work and is open to new ideas and proposals.
Lake Baikal Foundation expresses its gratitude to the organizers of the Siberian Perspective eco-summit, namely Norilsk Nickel, the Reserved Embassy Foundation, the National Council for Corporate Volunteering and the Association of Managers of Russia for the opportunity to share their sustainable practices and participate in the exchange of experience with experts in the field of conservation and sustainable development.