Pro-government environmentalists want to replace ‘imported movements’ with ‘patriotism’

The Russian Environmental Chamber, an NGO created “in line with Vladimir Putin's policy program for NGOs” by former State Duma Deputies in 2013, has requested Russian authorities “import-substitute” foreign environmental movements. Chamber representatives believe organizations such as WWF Russia and Greenpeace should be replaced with domestic organizations.

The Chamber believes that environmental movements should primarily be patriotic in character and should act so as not to interfere with the Russian industry and business.

The green Russian patriots have already received some strong backing. The deputy chairman of Russia's Central Bank, Alexander Torshin, has promised to consider their proposals. Writer Zakhar Prilepin has also offered to contribute his “literary special-ops” to beef-up proposals as well, reports newspaper Kommersant.

“Today, we are forming a new agenda for contemporary Russia—an environmental patriotism as the basis for a national idea,” said Vladimir Semenov.

“Most environmental projects in Russia and other countries are financed from abroad and have highly negative connotations,” says co-chairman of the Environmental Chamber Vadim Petrov. The co-chairman is outraged that environmental organizations exist in Russia whose “objective is not the economic development of the country, but the protection of the environment.”