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Renewable push looks for alternative environment
Published: 17 December, 2009, 20:10
Edited: 04 January, 2010, 04:17
TAGS: Investment, Markets, Russia and the global economy, Economy
Russia should shift its focus from oil and gas and begin developing alternative energy. But members of the International Energy forum say innovations will require state investment and social and economic policy changes.
Alternative energy currently provides less than 1% of Russia’s energy but the government is planning to boost that to 4.5% by 2020. The country has huge potential to develop solar, nuclear, hydro and wind resources, and the business community is keen to innovate. But Robert Nigmatulin, Director of the Institute of Oceanology says the burden is too heavy without state support.
“Governments in all the developed countries contribute a lot from their budgets. To make innovation a reality, Russia needs to change its social and economic course. We need to redistribute incomes, adjust the tax system and change budget policy.”
Russia recently adopted new legislation on energy efficiency, but the law doesn’t outline how the state can facilitate alternative projects. Businessmen complain that the energy reform – aimed at attracting investment, creating a free market and updating old capacity – has failed to meet expectations. Nadezhda Gerasimova, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma says there is too much red tape.
“There’s still too much bureaucracy in our legislation, especially for start-up projects. That hinders small business engagement in the innovation sector. We are expecting changes. The government should also work harder to encourage scientists.”
But following a massive brain drain in the 1990s innovative science in the country is lagging the rest of the world. Russia now has to turn to foreign expertise. Experts say the clock is ticking as Russia's hydrocarbon resources shrink and their exploration demands more and more money.
17.12.2009, 15:31
Bank Saint Petersburg posts 9M 2009 Net Income of 273.5 million RoublesRussia’s Bank Saint Petersburg has posted a 9M 2009 Net Income of 273.5 million Roubles under IFRS. |
18.12.2009, 11:24
2 comments
Putin calls for aviation boostVladimir Putin has ordered an extra $700 million to be pumped into the country’s aircraft manufacturers. |
While I absolutely support the dismantling of red tape, and the old Soviet habit of things in triplicate, pages and pages of forms, and other anachronism, I am absolutely AGAINST mindless pumping of public money into innovations. Innovations are not something that pours out of a tap, as soon as a spigot is turned on, via public subsidies. The lack of innovation is not a problem just in Russia, even though Russia --- seeking a fast track path out of the underdevelopment --- needs pretty badly. But the sight of all the companies lining up for State money is NOT THE WAY TO GO. The only way to become an innovation society is to create a link between EDUCATION and APPLICATION. This is the brew that generates innovation. The way things stand in all developed societies, when a graduate shows up for work with his/her newly minted diploma, he/she is already in trouble. The workplace they are about to enter is a mystery to them. They have all the theoretical knowledge, but know precious little about even the basics of their future work. When they start, the old hands have to show them the way, and if they are lucky in a few years they will catch up and progress in the career. In the meantime, who do you think will even listen to the young lions coming out of school with precious little knowledge of reality? They are very likely going to toss all the theoretical knowledge overboard, for the sake of fitting in and learning the ropes. By the time somebody is actually going to listen to them, they have become indoctrinated into the "reality". No, the only way to innovate, is to insure that there are no Universities that operate in a theoretical vacuum. All students, regardless of profession, need to spend a great deal of their school year in a workplace of their future career choice, and even have a chance to change orientation under the guidance of its University. These are the formative years when minds are open. This is where the money should go.
All societies have to be ready for when fossiles energies will have disappeared or will have become very costly, because difficult to obtain. It will be foolish to wait until the last minute to catch-up with progress. Changing to permanent energies is an investment. The State can lend the money or incitate the banks to do it. Nowadays, in all modern countries, most habitations, public buildings and lighting should be equiped of those news energies'systems. This could be a perfect reconversion process for all the self-destruction (armaments) industry. Progressively, the whole country' infrastructure and firms will have to be equipped. Is not it,what we call: mankind' s technical evolution...Sincerely. Jean-Claude Meslin