Forum of National Achievements at RUSSIA EXPO to Address Carbon Neutrality and Staffing Issues in Fuel and Energy Industry

Carbon neutrality is a key goal of Russia’s new Climate Doctrine, which was approved by a presidential decree in October 2023. Russia is effectively using all available tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to achieve the goal by 2060. Energy plays an important role in this regard: measures that are currently being implemented in the fuel and energy industry are already increasing the eco-friendliness of its industries, and low-carbon sources make up 85% of the country’s electricity balance.

What measures are being taken in the energy sector to ensure its low-carbon development and what effect do they have on Russia’s economy and environment? How does energy contribute to a greener transport sector? These and many other questions will be discussed by participants in the roundtable ‘Sustainable Energy: An Eco-Friendly Path to the Development of the Fuel and Energy Industry’, which will take place on 20 February in Pavilion No. 75 at the International RUSSIA EXPO as part of the Forum of National Achievements: Energy.

The event will be attended by First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on Energy Valery Seleznev, Director of the Department of Competition, Energy Efficiency, and Environment of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development Irina Petrunina, Director of the Oil and Gas Industry Department of the Russian Ministry of Energy Anton Rubtsov, First Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Viktor Mamin, Deputy General Director of RusHydro Sergey Machekhin, Deputy CEO, Director of the Corporate and Property Relations Unit, and Corporate Secretary of Inter RAO and Chairman of the Board of the Digital Energy Association Tamara Merebashvili, and other representatives of industry companies, agencies, and organizations. The discussion will be moderated by Alexey Kulapin, Director General of the Russian Energy Agency of the Russian Ministry of Energy.

“Today, the world is moving towards environmental sustainability, reducing emissions, and increasing energy efficiency. Russia consistently adheres to the strategic course of socioeconomic development with low greenhouse gas emissions. The goal set by the president to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 must be realized by introducing technological innovations, modernizing infrastructure, preserving ecosystems, and using government regulation tools,” Kulapin said.

As part of the business programme of Energy Industry Day at the Forum of National Achievements, companies will present their successes and identify issues that require more attention. One of these issues – staffing – will be discussed by participants in the second expert session ‘The Path to the Profession: A Conscious Choice or an Accident?’ According to the Ministry of Energy, young specialists under 35 years old make up roughly 27% of energy industry workers, whose average age is 42 years. The shortage of personnel is due to the fact that fuel and energy professions are not among the highest paid and most prestigious. In addition, working conditions in key areas cannot compete, for example, with the IT industry (flexible hours, remote work, and freedom of movement), and often involve harmful and dangerous factors. Most people do not know much about professions in the energy industry (at the level of public opinion).

The following officials will answer questions about how to get young people interested in and motivated to connect their lives to a career in the fuel and energy industry, what kind of people in these professions may be interested in joining the industry, whether there is a synergistic effect from working with young people from industry companies and universities, and numerous other personnel and educational issues: State Secretary and Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Anastasia Bondarenko, Rosseti Deputy CEO and Chief of Staff Vladimir Kharitonov, Rosneft Vice President for HR and Social Issues and Director of the HR Department Natalya Mincheva, Gazprom Neft Director of Organizational Development and HR Relations Roman Kvitko, RusHydro Director of HR Management Alexey Tkachev, Rector of the Moscow Energy Institute National Research University Nikolay Rogalev, Rector of Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (National Research University) Viktor Martynov, President of the ERA of Russia Association Arkady Zamoskovny, and President of the MAKO Association of Citizens and Organizations for Promoting the Development of Corporate Education Olga Golyshenkova. The expert session will also be held in Pavilion No. 75.

The Forum is being organized by the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, and the Directorate of the Exhibition of Russia’s Achievements. The operator is the Roscongress Foundation.