Eco-efficient communities: a conference in Stockholm

Sergey Shtrakhov,  Minister of
nature management
and ecology of Karelia

On February, 8th, in the framework of Västerbotten days in Grand Hotel, Stockholm, a conference was organized, aimed at bringing together representatives of Karelian municipalities with their colleagues from Västerbotten, with representatives of Västerbotten Länsstyrelsen, NEFCO, Forest research Institute, companies Umeva, SWECO, etc.

Representatives of Karelian municipalities
at a round table with Västerbotten experts

The conference was opened by the Governor of Västerbotten, Mrs Chris Heister. Format of the conference implied plenary session and a common discussion, devoted to the situation in communal sector in North-West Russia. After the conference, representatives of Karelian municipalities had an opportunity to continue the discussion with experts from Västerbotten regarding specific activities, which could be carried out in the participating municipalities.

Among the next steps of the project is organization of a study visit for workers of communal sector from Karelia to Västerbotten.

Project "Eco-efficient communities" continues in Karelia

During January, 23-28 a delegation of experts from Västerbotten visited Karelia in the framework of the project "Eco-efficient communities", which got started in autumn 2010.
Experts visited 5 Karelian municipalities, which were selected for participation in the project on the basis of   twinning relations with cities in Västerbotten: Petrozavodsk (sister-city Umeå), Kostomuksha (sister-city Rebertsfors), Medvezhyegorsk (sister-city Malö), Olonets (sister-city Lycksele), Pryazha (sister-ctiy Vindeln).

Visit to the sewage treatment facilities, Kostomuksha

At the meetings with the leadership and specialists of communal infrastructure of the municipalities, issues of energy efficientcy, waste and waste water management have been discussed. The task of the experts' visit was to reveal the most urgent problems, which municipalities are facing in the above-mentioned fields and come to the common conclusion as to which problems may be solved in the framework of the "Eco-efficient communities" project.

Discussions, which took place in the municipalities, have demonstrated the common need in competence upgrade and experience exchange in the field of energy-efficiency. Starting January 1st 2010 a new law on energy efficiency came into force in Russia, obliging municipalities to undertake measures, aimed at decreasing  consumption of energy and resources by 15% over a 5-year period of time.
Another sensitive issue for the municipalities is waste-water treatment and utilization of sewage sludge.

Meeting with leadership of Medvezhyegorsk city

It has been agreed to continue the discussion of the more specific activities within the project during the conference "Eco-efficient communities", which is planned for February, 8th in Stockholm, Sweden.