Leading environmental organizations of Russia, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace of Russia, have addressed to Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, Valentina Matviyenko with a request to reject the bill on housing renovation in Moscow.
“According to experts’ assessment, as a result of the implementation of a renovation program, the capital city may lose at least 27 million square meters of green plantings, what within borders of old Moscow territory amounts to about 7% of an area covered with woody vegetation. In some Moscow areas, this figure may exceed 50%. Taking into account the natural features of the region, these are absolutely unacceptable losses”, the message reads.
The letter was signed, among others, by Executive Director of WWF Russia Piotr Gorbunenko, Executive Director of Greenpeace Russia Sergey Tsyplenkov, Director General of the Wildlife Protection Center Alexei Zimenko.
According to environmentalists, 40-60-year-old trees will be destroyed.