Vladimir Putin held a meeting on developing waste treatment and recycling.

Following Vladimir Putin’s decision, outside lights at the Moscow Kremlin, the Russian President’s official residence, will be switched off from 8.30–9.30pm as part of the Earth Hour international environmental protection event on March 23.

During its first meeting on February 21, 2013, the taskforce looked into issues of interdepartmental cooperation on implementing the decisions of the 18^th UN Climate Change Conference, held in Doha in November and December 2012, as well as possible measures for stimulating the reduction of man-made greenhouse gas emissions in the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma draft Federal Law On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security.

The meeting focused on the Natural Resources Ministry’s plans for 2013, which has been declared the Year of the Environment in Russia.

Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security. The issues discussed included draft Energy Security Doctrine, the current trends in production, processing and marketing of natural gas, and the prospects of electric power cooperation between Russia and the European Union.

In his video address, Vladimir Putin congratulated the project participants on completing the second section and bringing it to design capacity.

Vladimir Putin took part in an experiment conducted by Russian ornithologists as part of the Flight of Hope project to save the endangered Siberian crane, a rare species of cranes placed on Red List of Threatened Species.

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Holding the Environment Year in the Russian Federation in 2013.

Vladimir Putin held an extra-mural meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society on Valaam Island.

During a working trip to Arkhangelsk Region, Vladimir Putin met with participants in an upcoming expedition to clean up environmental damage in polluted areas of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. The meeting took place in Arkhangelsk on the dock from which the expedition vessel departed.

Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation Concerning State Regulation of Merchant Shipping in the Area of the Northern Sea Route.

Vladimir Putin chaired the first meeting of the Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security, which focused on the Commission’s priority areas of activity.

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Functions of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On the Russian Federation Presidential Commission for Strategic Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector and Environmental Security.

Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to participants and guests of V Nevsky International Environmental Congress.

Dmitry Medvedev approved the Basic Principles of State Environmental Development Policy of the Russian Federation through to 2030.

Dmitry Medvedev discussed environmental security and protection at an off-site meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. The meeting was attended by members of the Council, environmental experts and representatives of environmental organisations.