IPLA Global Forum 2015 was held in Moscow

October 08, 2015

IPLA Global Forum 2015 on “Science-Policy-Business-Community Interfaсe. Towards a Resource Efficient Nation: Minimum Landfilling and Maximum Resource Recovery” was held on 6-8 October in Moscow Congress Сenter of World Trade Center. The Forum serves as an annual meeting of the International Partnership for Expanding Waste Management Services of Local Authorities (IPLA), which aims to promote the cooperation between private sector, local authorities and public stakeholders in order to reinforce Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives for waste management worldwide. Previous to Moscow the Forum was hosted in the Republic of Korea, Sweden and Brazil.

During the two-days Forum in Moscow there were discussed the most relevant environmental issues, including but not limited to resolving of the current environmental challenges, prevention of the different pollution-types both in Russia and the neighboring countries, the implementation of new technologies for waste management as well as the possible ways for the regional and interregional cooperation and eco-educational campaigns.

More than 300 representatives from the governmental and local authorities, public and academic institutions, Russian and international private companies participated in the event as well as more than 20 international environmental consultants. There were discussed highly relevant points, such as extended producer responsibility, implementation of the 3R principle in Russia (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and PPP- strategies for waste management in Russia and worldwide.

As the main outcome of the Forum serves the Declaration on interregional cooperation for waste management and natural resources’ restoration as a step towards economic growth based on the “closed-loop cycle”. It is planned that the Declaration will be signed by the representatives of the local authorities, private sector and industrial companies as well as by any other counterpart within waste management sector.

The Forum was supported by UNIDO ITPO in the Russian Federation. The Head of the Office, Mr. Sergey Korotkov, made an opening speech emphasizing the significance of the issues discussed during the Forum and pointing out their connection to the principles of inclusive and sustainable industrial development and environmental preservation. Mr. Korotkov also voiced approval towards IPLA initiatives from the side of UNIDO.