“Climate, energy, human” SPARE seminar in Vologda

OrganizersOn April 2nd and 3rd 2010 a seminar “Climate, energy, human” was organized in Vologda by Gaia (Cola coordination center, SPARE coordinator in Murmansk region) and environmental public organizations of Vologda and Arkchangelsk region/ The seminar was dedicated to the issues of climate change and energy efficiency. The conference’s participants discussed the consciences of climate change in Vologda region and agreed that it is necessary to act both to adapt to climate change and to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. Protection of nature and people’s natural livelihoods requires joint actions by public, authorities and specialist in different areas.
Valentina Sosnina, SPARE coordinator in Apatity, RussiaAleksey Ovchinnikov, ecological organization "AETAS"

The conference defined immediate environmental objectives:
- to increase the education level of decision-makers on the whole range of environmental, social and economic consequences of their decisions;
- to introduce the topics of climate and energy saving into educational programs for schoolkids, students, adults, to involve Vologda schoolchildren into SPARE project:
- to support innovation and facilitate the transition to new technologies, both energy efficient and nature saving, in order to financially secure the measures of environmental protection and greenhouse gases emissions reduction;
- to create a working group of representatives of public organizations, business, science, education and local authorities in order to implement the climate doctrine of Russian Federation in Vologda region:
- to switch from separate environmental protection measures to sustainable development programs for settlements and territories.

Energy supply and waste treatment on Spas-Kamen island, the creation of a complex reserve at lake Druzhinnoe that includes the micro hydro power station reconstruction and setting-up of a recreation area for visitors were chosen as pilot projects to transit to sustainable development.