Industrial footprint: what cities are doing to get rid of it

The European Commission annually selects the Green Capital of Europe, a city that, by its example, promotes an environmentally friendly and responsible approach to life. Now Russian cities can compete with European cities in eco-approaches. For example, Chelyabinsk in the Urals is quite capable of being more interesting in ecopolitics than many of the world’s “green” brands.

At one time, the above-mentioned European title was the first to be awarded to Stockholm, which got rid of the industrial trace. Hamburg, Copenhagen, Bristol, Ljubljana won the competition… Each city has its own path to the title of “green” city. In 2021, the title went to the city that at one time fully felt the burden of a large number of enterprises – Lahti.

The path from “harsh” cities to green

In Russia, there are also examples of industrial megacities that successfully cope with the problem of emissions and reduce the negative footprint of the work of industrial enterprises through the introduction of “green” technologies. According to research data, firstly, the desire to “reduce the impact on the environment” motivates representatives of factories to use eco-technologies (not all experts believe this answer, however). And secondly, “compliance with environmental, health and safety standards” (this already seems to be true).

In our country, there are several industrial regions with a corresponding eco-footprint. According to Irina Umnova-Konyukhova, president and founder of the Pravo mira center, environmental threats to Russia largely depend on history, or rather, on the geopolitical events that the USSR had to face, since it was during World War II that they increased industrial production in the Urals and in Siberia.

“As a result, this industrial zone with hazardous production was created,” says Irina Umnova-Konyukhova. “However, even now this issue can be solved with the help of the latest technologies.

This is exactly what they did in Chelyabinsk, having already achieved great results. In 2021, the industrial city for the first time entered the list of cities with a favorable urban environment according to the results of the rating of the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, strengthening its positions in terms of the “environmental friendliness” criterion. Chelyabinsk, which many Russians imagine as an exclusively industrial metropolis with the appropriate environment due to stereotypes, has long been no longer gray and dusty, but a real green city.

What will the guest of modern Chelyabinsk pay attention to first of all? For example, the fact that right in the city there are several large lakes with comfortable sandy beaches and yacht clubs. The fact that the beautiful Miass River flows through almost the entire Chelyabinsk, that there is a unique relict forest in the city center, and many parks and squares are scattered around its districts. Yes, there are still environmental problems, like everyone else, but they have learned to solve them consistently and effectively here.

Ecosecurity Development Center

Chairman of the Russian Ecological Society Rashid Ismailov notes that the best practices in the field of environmental protection are being formed in the Chelyabinsk region and Chelyabinsk in particular.

“The center for the development of environmental security in the country is being formed not where everything is good, but where problems have accumulated and they are looking for ways to solve them,” he says. — One of the examples of best practices was the creation of an environmental standard in this region. It was a challenge, because until now the eco-standard has not been fully created anywhere in the country, except for the Chelyabinsk region. This is a large complex document, which was created together with industrialists, environmentalists, and social activists.

In essence, an eco-standard is the adoption of increased obligations to protect the environment: they are higher than prescribed by federal law. The result is already noticeable. Metallurgical enterprises are being modernized, thermal power plants are being transferred from coal to gas, old coal-fired boilers are becoming a thing of the past …

However, an eco-standard is an eco-standard, but, as Russian President Vladimir Putin said, people should feel the changes when they open the window. Chelyabinsk residents say they already feel it.