Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On Saturday the 2nd of June, 70 km from Tashkent in the Chamgan foothills, the EcoForum ‘Towards a Green Economy’ brought together professionals from all industries and walks of life to discuss the concept of a Green Economy, and decide what must be done to turn it into a reality in Uzbekistan. The well-attended forum featured an exhibition of industrial achievements made in the field of environmental protection, an exhibition of children’s drawings and photographs, a Round Table meeting on the theme ‘Towards a Green Economy’, the awards ceremonies of children’s competitions, and business events.

About 500 people attended the EcoForum, which was held at the ‘Khodjikent’ hotel in the Ugam-Chatkal National Park. The attending national enterprises, which included JSC ‘Almalyk Steel Works’, GM Powertrain Uzbekistan, JSC ‘Ammofos-Maxam’, and JSC ‘Maxam-Chirchik" of AI ‘Sanoatkalinkogozsavdo’, each presented a variety of unique products which reflected the Eco Forum’s theme. While developing and delivering products ranging from copper and gold to fertilizers, cement and motor vehicles, each enterprise had maintained high standards for water and waste treatment. Many businesses had switched to using only clean energy resources, while others had dedicated their efforts to providing waste-processing services to their fellow companies. The companies ‘Sanoatkalinkogozsavdo’ and ‘Rubber Product’ were particular impressive; the first turning waste paper into quality fibre board for the furniture industry, and the second transforming used rubber products into environmentally-friendly floor coverings and tiles.

Next to the industry exhibition was a display of a different nature; a collection of paintings and photographs created by children in order to highlight the need to preserve the environment. While considering the tremendous works of art, the chairperson of the organisation ‘Angren Inspection Conservation’ Mr. Rasulov Bakir spoke about how environmentalists in the city are fighting to protect nature, and how much their efforts are appreciated. One such environmentalist was Doston Juraev, a skilled photographer and student at high school № 8, who submitted a series of photographs which portray instances when urban businesses had negatively impact the environment. Mr. Bakir observed that Doston’s work has had a significant influence on the enterprises that he has photographed, thereby encouraging them to correct their shortcomings.

Another aspect of the event was the Round Table on the theme ‘Towards a Green Economy’, which featured presentations of the achievements made by industrial enterprises towards EcoForum’s objectives. Using reports and PowerPoint slides, both the heads of the Departments of Environmental Protection and representatives of industrial enterprises outlined the results of the important work undertaken to help prevent atmospheric pollution and improper waste disposal. One particularly encouraging announcement was that every participating company had actively carried out tree-planting projects, replacing previously-cleared forests with thousands of new saplings. The chairperson of the State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan Mr. Nariman Umarov brought particular attention to the work of GM Powertrain Uzbekistan, which by following the recommendations of the State Committee had achieved high levels of performance in regards to environmental protection.

Rewards were given to the companies who participated in the EcoForum at the end of proceedings, while certificates were distributed for achievements in environmental protection and sustainable development. The winners of the children’s drawing, photography and creativity contests received awards from the staff of the UNDP-GEF project ‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Uzbekistan`s Oil-and-Gas Sector Policies and Operations’, an initiative undertaken with the support of the State Committee for Nature Protection, the National Holding Company ‘Uzbekneftegaz’, and private oil companies. The works entered into the contests were evaluated in such categories as ‘The best essay on the topic: ‘What is biodiversity and how can oil and gas industry minimise its negative impact on it’’, ‘The best pictures of the oil and gas sector and the conservation of biodiversity’, and ‘The best screenplay on the topic ‘Integrate the principles of biodiversity conservation into the oil and gas sector of Uzbekistan’’.