Summary article about the Competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and the Climate of Earth”
September 21, 2013
The all-Russian competition of works dedicated to the ozone layer protection summed up in Moscow
On September 16, 2013, a ceremony of awarding the winners of all-Russian competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and the Climate of Earth” took place in the conference hall of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
Competition: background, organizers, participants
The competition summing up was timed to the 26th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. In 1994, the UN General Assembly proclaimed September 16 the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The motto of the Ozone Day is “Save Our Sky: Protect Yourself, Protect the Ozone Layer.” This environmental event is widely celebrated all over the world: government officials, scientists and experts make speeches; TV and radio channels broadcast programs, and newspapers and magazines print articles, dedicated to the protection of the ozone layer; information web-sites get launched; students and pupils attend numerous workshops.
In our country, the celebration of the Ozone Day was initiated in 2011 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and United Nations Industrial Development Organization. In 2012, our country, together with the rest of the world, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol.
In pursuance of the Russian President’s Decree No. 1157 “On conducting the Year of the Environmental Protection in the Russian Federation” of 10.08.2012, all-Russian competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate” was held among pupils and students of schools, secondary vocational and higher education institutions.
Message from Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, dedicated to the International Day for Preservation of the Ozone LayerSeptember 16, 2013 
Extraordinary challenges require extraordinary responses. A generation ago, the world’s nations agreed to act definitively to protect the ozone layer, initiating an inter-governmental process that blazed new trails. As we implement the outcomes of the 2012 Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, the remarkable success story of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer provides a beacon of hope. It provides protection for the ozone layer, significantly contributes to climate mitigation and reminds us that, faced with existential threats, the nations of the world are capable of cooperation for the common good. My hope is that this success will inform and inspire the international community in charting a new vision and responsive framework for the period beyond 2015, the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Sustainable development — enabled by the integration of economic growth, social justice and environmental stewardship — must become our global guiding principle and operational standard. On this International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, I commend all who have made the Montreal Protocol such an outstanding example of international cooperation. I urge Governments, industry, civil society and all other partners to apply the same spirit to the other great environment and development challenges of our times. |
The competition was organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education and Science, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization with the support of the Global Environment Facility. Many organizations and companies also contributed to the arrangement of the Competition: federal state-financed institution of supplementary children education Federal Children Environmental-Biological Center (key executor), Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Natural Resource Use, Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, Daikin Europe representative office in the Russian Federation, OOO DuPont Science and Technologies, GoldStar company, Research Institute for Ecology and Rational Use of Natural Resources, state-financed institution of secondary vocational education Engineering College No. 19, informational portal TopClimat.ru, non-commercial initiative WorldSkills Russia, and others.
The competition was aimed to involve pupils and students into far-reaching activity on the ozone layer protection carried by our country together with the world community. On July 23, 2013, the President of the Russian Federation signed Federal Law No. 226-FZ “On amending Federal Law “On Environment Protection” and particular legislative acts of the Russian Federation.” With the aim of ensuring fulfillment of the Russia’s Montreal Protocol commitments, this law prohibits to design and construct any facilities producing ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and ODS-containing products, and landfill ODS-containing products without prior environmentally safe recovery of ODS for re-use or destruction. It also introduces reporting on ODS production and use, and administrative responsibility for failure to comply with new requirements regulating ODS use.
This law entering into force will not only favor fulfillment of Russia’s international obligations, but also promote introduction of new technologies, opening of global markets for Russian producers to export their refrigerating equipment and insulating foams, contribution to legalization of the domestic HVAC&R market, and improvement of energy efficiency of HVAC&R systems in operation.
Competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate” was conducted in three stages: regional, federal and final. At the federal stage 689 works were submitted.
36 best works reached the final and their authors accompanied by instructors were invited to Moscow to be awarded for the first, second or third places.
On September 15, 2013, the finalists competed in the residence of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in the following nominations: “Picture” (for 1–4 year students), “Poster” (for 5–7 year students), “Sustainability project”, “Essay”, “Educational and Research and Scientific Work”, “Public Service Ad” (for students from schools, secondary vocational and higher educational institutions), and “Methodological materials” (for students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions). The jury joined representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, UNIDO, FGBOU DOD Federal Children Environmental-Biological Center, Ministry of Education and Science, and Forest Campaign of the International Socio-Ecological Union.
The winners were announced after a 3-hour competition and summing-up that challenged the jury.
Winners of all-Russian competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate”
| Contestant | Place |
|---|---|
| Pictures (1–4 year students) | |
| Roman Bespalov | 1st place |
| Alyona Panyukova (co-author is Anna Mironenko) | 2nd place |
| Svetlana Tishkus | 3rd place |
| Posters (5-7 year students) | |
| Yulia Tetereva | 1st place |
| Alexandra Konovalova | 2nd place |
| Valeria Sulyaeva | 3rd place |
| Public Service Ad (8–11 year students) | |
| Alexey Efimov | 1st place |
| Anastasiya Smirnova (co-author is Valentina Burlan) | 2nd place |
| Daniil Belov | 3rd place |
| Public Service Ad (students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions) | |
| Anton Volkov (co-author is Viktoria Sokur) | 1st place |
| Vladislav Veshkurtsev | 2nd place |
| Igor Kuznetsov | 3rd place |
| Educational and Research and Scientific Work (8–11 year students) | |
| Natalia Mingalyova | 1st place |
| Olga Ukolova | 2nd place |
| Vitaly Karyakin | 3rd place |
| Educational and Research and Scientific Work (students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions) | |
| Vladislava Sigaeva | 1st place |
| Daria Kulkova (co-author is Viktoria Verbivskaya) | 2nd place |
| Tatiana Alexandrova | 3rd place |
| Essays (8–11 year students) | |
| Kirill Otev | 1st place |
| Valeria Gabechaya | 2nd place |
| Mikhail Kiselyov | 3rd place |
| Essays (students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions) | |
| Alsu Ibragimova | 1st place |
| Ekaterina Nikitina | 2nd place |
| Valentina Erokhno | 3rd place |
| Sustainability Projects (5-7 year students) | |
| Alina Varentsova | 1st place |
| Maxim Tigrov | 2nd place |
| Milena Molodykh | 3rd place |
| Sustainability Projects (8-11 year students) | |
| Tatiana Nikitina | 1st place |
| Mikhail Shatskikh (co-author is Kristina Kartashova) | 2nd place |
| Elena Tizova | 3rd place |
| Sustainability Projects (students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions) | |
| Alyona Norboeva (co-authors are Anna Batrakova, Viktoria Zvereva, Anay-Khaak Oorzhak, Ondar Chaiyndy) | 1st place |
| Irina Smolyaninova | 2nd place |
| Elena Kvasova | 3rd place |
| Methodological Materials (students of secondary vocational and higher education institutions) | |
| Alexander Ivanov | 1st place |
| Daria Dmitrieva (co-author is Elvira Samitova) | 2nd place |
| Alexandr Kalinin | 3rd place |
Ceremony of finalists’ awarding
A children choir opened the solemn ceremony with a non-official Russian hymn of the Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer—‘Let’s save our world’—which has the following lines:
The Earth is our world,
The Earth is our home,
The small ship in the ocean of stars.
Let’s join our hands, friends,
Let’s join our hands, friends,
And save our world!
Let’s save our home
Until it’s too late!
Then, to emphasize the fact that the competition takes place in Russia, ‘My Russia’ song was performed.
The participants of the ceremony were greeted by Semen Levi, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. He congratulated students with victory and told about steps undertaken by our country to protect the ozone layer and Earth climate. As an example of the steps, he took a new flying test-bench created for Russia’s hydrometeorological service and aimed to be used for measuring atmosphere thermodynamic and electrical parameters, radio contamination, monitoring atmospheric gas and aerosol composition and means of influence on hydrometeorological processes, and conducting atmosphere radar studies.
On behalf of other organizers, the Ministry of Education and Science and UNIDO, the audience was greeted by Evgeni Ugrinovich, Director of the International Affairs Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, and Sergey Korotkov, Director of the UNIDO Center for International Industrial Cooperation in the Russian Federation.
The second part of the ceremony, the winners’ awarding itself, began with the video message of Sergey Donskoy, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment:
‘In the first place, let me congratulate the winners. I saw most of the works and can say that they were done to a high standard.I also think that every one of those who did not get the first prize today has gained a small but very important victory: acceptance of responsibility for his or her own future.
‘Today we are close to solving the problem of using ozone depleting substances,’ continued the Minister.‘We support industrial enterprises in their shift to manufacture of ozone-safe products, elaborate the ODS destruction system and block their illegal use. The case about climate change is somewhat different.A great deal in solving this problem will depend on the responsible attitude of the business circles to which many of you will belong in future.’
Each of 47 winners including co-authors was granted with an individually-designed diploma signed by S. Donskoy, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, S. Kaganov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, and S. Korotkov, Director of the UNIDO Centre in Russia. The winners also received valuable gifts. The trip to Moscow, accommodation, transfers were absolutely free for the competitors.
Among valuable gifts there were: iPad mini (from Daikin), air purifier and GoldStar portable audio system for telephone and player (from Electronica trade house), mp3 players and souvenirs for co-authors (from the Research Institute for Ecology and Rational Use of Natural Resources). The winners were given a chance to have an educational tour and film show at the Moscow large planetarium, and visit to the DuPont Russia Innovation Center in Moscow where they familiarized with present-day scientific discoveries and ecological technologies (with the support of DuPont).
The winners’ work supervisors were also granted with valuable prizes: e-books and other gifts from GEF and manuals on the ozone layer protection.
The winners’ works will be exhibited at the UNIDO Headquarters in Vienna (Austria).
The special prize was awarded to authors of the official competition emblem: Ksenia Kuznetsova and Maria Ryltsova, students of 2A class of GBOU TsO No. 1475 of the Moscow Eastern Administrative District, and Irina Safronova, their supervisor. They received the prize from Yury Sorokin, head of the UNIDO/GEF-MNRE project.
The ceremony was closed with an address of Semen Levi, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. After that, the choir that opened the event closed it with a song about Moscow, as acknowledgement of the cordial reception.
Partners of competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate”
Daikin Industries Ltd. (Japan), the world’s largest producer of air-conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration machines. From the establishment, the company have concentrated its efforts on development of this division. Daikin production facilities can be found in Europe, South-East Asia, Australia and USA. One of the company’s key goals is environmental protection. Products by Daikin are made of easily-recycled materials while standardization of components and reduction of their quantity facilitate equipment dismantling and destruction. The company is working on development of new ozone-safe refrigerants. Daikin developed a series of environment protection measures and continues search for new and greener production methods. Since the company places intensive efforts for protection of the ozone layer and will always encourage those who are eager to join it, Daikin sponsored all-Russian competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate.” 
DuPont has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. DuPont, the world’s leading supplier of refrigerants. The company harnesses science and technology, market knowledge and global coverage to supply its consumers with environmentally-safe materials and solutions for enhancing individual comfort, storing food, increasing effectiveness of production and minimizing environmental effects. ‘Environmental protection is one of DuPont’s key values,’ says Tatiana Markina, senior marketing specialist Fluoroproduct, OOO DuPont Science and Technologies. ‘Our company commits to reduce emissions, decrease use of non-renewable sources at its production facilities, and develop products that contribute nature protection including ozone-safe refrigerants. DuPont supports activities aimed at cut the use of ozone-destructing refrigerants. Equally important is, as we believe, the work on implementation of sustainable initiatives that favor environmental competence. 
GoldStar. Struggle for environment is close to GoldStar which is engaged in production of various air-conditioning devices. The company—that for a long time used only ozone-safe refrigerants in its air-conditioners and produces equipment that every day fights air pollution, overheating or dryness—could not stand aside. To support participants of all-Russian competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate”, GoldStar became its sponsor. The winners of the competition dedicated to the protection of the ozone layer received GoldStar API40 air purifiers that will help create healthy atmosphere in homes of young environment activists. GoldStar gladly supports the project and expresses its gratitude to the competition participants who thought up how to use their works to capture the attention towards the problem of the preservation of the ozone layer. 
Research Institute for Ecology and Rational Use of Natural Resources was established in 2005 and today it leads the regional environmental service market. Its basic strategic vector is O&G project implementation. The organization develops and implements environmental solutions and projects based on unique scientific technologies, long-term research, professionalism and selfless labor of enthusiastic people. |
Instead of an Afterword
Our six month marathon named all-Russian competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate” is over. Every participant, regardless of the place won, has contributed to the protection of the environment of our planet. The Year of the Environmental Protection is coming to its end, but the protection of the ozone layer and Earth climate are not.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education and Science and UNIDO are planning to continue to conduct competition “Protect the Ozone Layer and Earth Climate.” That is why, there is more to come.