Statement By Konstantin Pulikovsky, the chairman of Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear supervision service of Russia

The G8 countries’ heads of technological and environmental safety services have met in Moscow within the framework of Russia’s G8 presidency to discuss safety and security in the energy industry, and ways to diminish the overall environmental impact, and to reaffirm a need for further efforts.

Konstantin Pulikovsky, Chairman of Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia, said global energy security was “indispensably” linked to “meeting technological and environmental security requirements.” The head of the Russian safety watchdog described government authorities’ role as establishing effective energy sector control mechanisms “to enable us to overcome all the main threats of today.”

He also said the meeting had led to a clear definition of many key safety issues, including ways to limit the negative environmental impact, increase the reliability of equipment, organize effective international cooperation and introduce innovative energy security standard enforcement methods.

“The anticipated growth of energy investment will create opportunities for the introduction of new technology,” Pulikovsky said.

He described government authorities’ role for the short term as to define new common approaches to technological risks management, ensure the closer alignment of security regulation instruments and cooperate and share the best practices in the insurance and limitation of the energy sector’s environmental impact.

Economic efficiency and energy security can only be ensured if there is an integrated approach to technological and environmental safety, starting from the earliest stages of decision-making, the regulators said, also reaffirming their commitment to further research into the magnitude of transborder air pollution.

In conclusion of the Meeting Chairman summarised its outcomes. “The full range of instruments and tools, including regulation, market based instruments and voluntary approaches, need to be used to prevent pollution rather than tackling the consequences of pollution” as the phrase goes in draft document. Chair’s summary reflecting basic agreements reached between its participants is to be submitted to the St. Petersburg Summit Chairman.