Taking care of the environment: TAIF-NK PSC joins large-scale tree planting

Forest conservation — under government control

The whole world talk of the importance of preserving forests, green spaces in cities and villages in these days. Just recently, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed the government decree on the adoption of the Paris Agreement, RIA Novosti reports. The document states that Russia proceeds from the importance of preserving and increasing the absorptive capacity of forests and other ecosystems, as well as the need to take it into account as much as possible.

All measures included in the agreement are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is necessary to develop a new low-carbon model of economic development based on the gradual abandonment of traditional technologies of extraction, processing and use of fossil resources (primarily hydrocarbons) in favour of green technologies. The states will determine by themselves their contribution to the process of reducing emissions into the atmosphere. The implementation of the objectives of the agreement is to be checked every 5 years.

The role of green spaces

The role of trees in the purification and rehabilitation of cities cannot be underestimated. They not only absorb dust, carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, but also perform sanitary protection, water protection and noise protection functions, form the microclimate and the original appearance of the city.

For example, in summer, a medium-sized tree releases as much oxygen as three people need to breathe in 24 hours. One hectare of green space for 1 hour absorbs 8 litres of carbon dioxide and releases a volume of oxygen sufficient to support the life of 30 people.

Besides, green spaces are great helpers to counteract noise pollution. According to experts, the crowns of deciduous trees absorb up to 26% of the sound energy falling on them. The trees “work” not only in summer but also in winter.

Green Wave has swept Nizhnekamsk

The petrochemical capital of Tatarstan pays close attention to the greening of the city. In 2013, at the initiative of the administration of Nizhnekamsk, the republic for the first time held a Green Wave mass environmental campaign for planting trees. By the way, its name was proposed and chosen by voting by the residents themselves.

The start of the environmental campaign in 2013 was given by the head of Nizhnekamsk region, Aydar Metshin, and the minister of forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Nail Magdeev. They, along with residents, employees of various organizations and enterprises, including TAIF-NK PSC, have made personal contribution to greening the city by planting trees.

“Green Wave should subsequently cover the cities of the whole republic,” said Nail Magdeev. “It is very important that Nizhnekamsk residents continue the work begun by the first builders, the people who built this city and at the initial stage took care of its improvement, that Nizhnekamsk was a green city.”

“This event should become a common cause for all residents of Nizhnekamsk, Green Wave should not be a one-time event, every resident of Nizhnekamsk should take part in this good initiative, it is important not only to plant a tree but the main thing — to provide follow-up care for the green areas,” said Aydar Metshin during the planting.

In the first month of the Green Wave campaign in 2013 alone, more than 17,500 trees were planted in Nizhnekamsk. Since then, the planting of green spaces in the city has been carried out annually and takes place in two stages: in spring and autumn. Following the example of Nizhnekamsk citizens, Green Wave campaign has been supported in all regions of Tatarstan.

The “greenest” city

Thus, in order to attract public attention to the issues of complex development of territories, their improvement and landscaping, creation of comfortable conditions for the population, the year 2015 was declared the Year of Parks and Squares in Tatarstan. Not green enough at that time there were considered the cities such as Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Almetyevsk, Zainsk, Chistopol and others. Nizhnekamsk was named one of the greenest in Tatarstan.

Thanks to the municipal environmental campaign Green Wave, in 2013 alone, the area of green areas in Nizhnekamsk increased by 11% and amounted to 47%. Over 6 years, this figure has become even greater.

TAIF-NK is one of the first to join the city campaign

Realizing the importance of the environmental project Green Wave, TAIF-NK oil refining company has been one of the first to take part in it. Since 2013, the company's employees have planted about 10,000 seedlings. Thanks to their efforts, green spaces appeared on Lesnaya Street. There has grown the green shield of Nizhnekamsk that protects the inhabitants from anthropogenic load of the industrial hub.

This autumn, as part of the city campaign Green Wave, the employees of the city-forming enterprise, TAIF-NK PSC, again have become among the first to contribute to the landscaping of Nizhnekamsk. This time, the environmental troops have “landed” along the road going towards the village of Shingalchi, where the employees of the company planted another batch of trees.

About 50 employees of the refinery participated in the large-scale environmental campaign. On the first day alone, they planted more than 400 birches. When planting green spaces, TAIF-NK PSC uses only trees adapted to local soil and climatic conditions. It is spruce, birch, rowan.

“The whole family decided to participate in this noble cause today. The new trees will surely enrich Nizhnekamsk with oxygen and will clear of dust. I want my son to understand how many benefits trees bring to our city,” tells Damir Sharimullin, an employee of TAIF-NK PSC.

“Every year we together with my colleagues plant trees,” says Kirill Neymenov, an employee of TAIF-NK PSC. “A large number of industrial enterprises are concentrated outside the city, so we all need to take environmental issues seriously in order to breathe clean air.”

The employees of the city-forming enterprise TAIF-NK are going to go out to plant trees more than once until the end of October while the Green Wave campaign is being held in the city. It is also planned to green Solnechnaya Polyana Park and the road leading to the industrial zone. In total, more than 1,500 young trees are going to be planted this year by the efforts of the company's employees.

“Despite the fact that the company is now undergoing major repairs, we have attracted people and equipment. We are conducting the work on planting the trees. Today we have planted birches,” said Georgy Seleznev, the head of the base of TAIF-NK PSC.

Taking care of the environment

The issues of environmental safety and environmental protection are a prerequisite for successful business development for TAIF-NK. The main principle of the company is not to cause damage to the environment. In addition to its environmental programmes developed at the enterprise, TAIF-NK employees are active participants of the city, regional and all-Russian environmental campaigns.

For example, every spring, as part of the sanitary cleaning of the city, the employees of TAIF-NK PSC, as a socially responsible enterprise, remove the garbage accumulated during winter, whitewash curbs, trees, restore the fencing and lighting poles to the proper condition.

Just two weeks ago, the company's employees helped to clean the unique Karakul Lake in Tatarstan, taking part in the republican environmental event called Clean Shore. About 20 employees of TAIF-NK collected and took to the landfill dozens of bags of garbage.

Striking a balance

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov has repeatedly spoken about the balance between the development of production and the preservation of the environment. According to the head of the republic, all competitive advantages will be lost without taking care of the environment.

The Republic of Tatarstan is one of the most developed industrial regions of the Russian Federation, with a high volume of gross product. The environmental situation in the cities and settlements has improved markedly in recent years, and systematic work has been carried out to monitor and ensure rational environmental management. All this is due to the coordinated, joint work of public organizations, municipal authorities, environmentalists, volunteers and large industrial enterprises.

Rustam Minnikhanov called the reconstruction of the local industrial wastewater treatment plant of TAIF-NK PSC a good example of environmental protection. The president of Tatarstan told about it at the opening ceremony of the biological treatment plant. In the course of the modernization of treatment facilities at the enterprise, the modern, fully automated biological treatment facilities have been actually built anew, which remove 99,99% of pollutants in the form of oil products. And the emissions into the air have been reduced to 90%.