The program of the International Forum "Islands of Sustainable Development: the climate aspect" on Sakhalin is presented.

The business program of the International Forum "Islands of Sustainable Development: the Climate Aspect", which will be held at the new Sakhalin Expo site of the Pushisty dronoport in the Sakhalin Region on August 1-2, was presented in Moscow. The operator is the Roscongress Foundation. The event will be held as a visiting venue of the Eastern Economic Forum.

The forum will include thematic discussions on various issues of the climate and environmental agenda. The key event of the business program will be the plenary session "Russia on the way to a low-carbon future." Among the main topics are carbon regulation in the era of the global crisis, the practical application of low–carbon technologies and the harmonization of approaches to the implementation of national environmental policies of the EAEU, SCO and BRICS+ states. Within the framework of the forum, special attention will be paid to the economic component of the Sakhalin experiment on achieving carbon neutrality.

"According to the Russian Hydrometeorological Service, net greenhouse gas emissions in the Sakhalin Region have more than tripled compared to 2019. At the same time, GRP increased by 30%. Environmental quality indicators are steadily improving. The fight for carbon neutrality should not harm the economy. On the contrary, it is intended to give an impetus to sustainable development. This is the meaning of the Russian carbon neutrality strategy. The results of the implementation of the climate program have affected not only the economy, but also the quality of life of people. We have gasified the housing and communal services, increased the energy efficiency of the urban economy, switched public transport and agricultural machinery to gas, and are developing electric transport. We take care of nature – the area of forest fires has decreased by 10 times, we are engaged in reforestation. The air quality has doubled, and the dust content has decreased fivefold. The economy has improved efficiency because energy–saving mechanisms have been activated," said Valery Limarenko, Governor of the Sakhalin Region, at a press conference dedicated to the forum.

The Sakhalin experiment will be discussed in detail during the upcoming event, the head of the region emphasized. Discussions will also take place on various topics, including adaptation to climate change, scientific and technological perspectives, hydrogen energy, and others. In addition, the forum will include an exhibition of eco-friendly transport and a meeting of the Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation on low-carbon development and investments in the climate agenda.

The Forum's program will include sessions on climate change adaptation, environmental-friendly business economics, the role of BRICS in shaping new approaches to ecology, international scientific cooperation, and strategies to reduce the carbon footprint.

"Our current priority is to harmonize approaches to the implementation of climate projects in order to recognize and enable the commercialization of Russian projects at the international level. In addition, in the future, carbon pricing will become a requirement for providing equal competitive opportunities to market participants when trading with our partners, who are already planning to introduce various carbon regulatory instruments. Sakhalin's pilot project on mandatory regulation confirms that the transition to a cleaner economy is possible without compromising growth, and this experience can be replicated in other regions of the country," said Ruslan Edelgeriev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Climate Issues.

It is expected that about 1,000 people will take part in the business program of the Forum. Among them are representatives of government agencies in the Asia–Pacific region, participants in the BRICS Outreach and BRICS Plus formats, members of the diplomatic corps of foreign countries in Russia, as well as industry experts, researchers, and representatives of public and youth organizations.

The international forum of unmanned vehicles of all environments "Wings of Sakhalin" will also be held on September 6-8 at the Pushisty drone port, and the international Far Eastern Energy Forum on September 25-26.

The tenth anniversary Eastern Economic Forum will be held on September 3-6 in Vladivostok on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University. The main theme of this year's event is "The Far East – cooperation for peace and prosperity." The WEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation.