Green Technologies are an Integral Element in Environmental

Protection

R. Н. Bekmurzayeva, Kh. M. Balaeva and A. A. Shemilkhanova

Chechen State University named after A.A. Kadyrov, Grozny, Russia

Keywords: Green technologies, climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity.

Abstract: The current stage of economic development is characterized by a large-scale transformation of all spheres of

activity. A special place is occupied by transformations that characterize the relationship between man and

the natural environment. Unfortunately, today the environment is in a critical state, therefore, environmental

protection based on improving environmental safety is one of the priority areas of development. The aim of

the work is to consider the main types of green technologies and reveal their advantages.

1 INTRODUCTION

The problem of climate protection is becoming more

and more serious. To ensure the quality of our lives

and our daily well-being, we are greening the

economy. While the corona crisis has firmly gripped

many traditional industries, the demand for green

technologies is proving to be resilient despite the

unfavorable economic situation. A look at the

automotive, engineering, or chemical industries

shows that even in times of declining sales,

companies and consumers continue to invest in

sustainable technologies for the future. The

coronavirus has brought the world to a standstill.

However, global problems such as climate change or

lack of resources cannot simply be put on hold. To

remain sustainable, we must not lose sight of long-

term goals. As the saying goes, "Tomorrow's

pressure makes us to act today." Today, green

transformation is no longer an academic theory, but is

becoming a reality.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the course of this article, materials and methods

obtained from the study of scientific articles, books,

journals and other works were used.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Green tech is much more than a catchy buzzword.

Hardly any segment is currently growing faster than

the green technology industry. Green technologies

include all technological innovations that develop

smart, intelligent and at the same time climate-

friendly solutions for the economy. The strongest

driver for the future development of green

technologies is, of course, the European Green Deal.

This is a concept presented by the EU Commission at

the end of 2019 and supported by the European

Council and the European Parliament. The Green

Deal provides for a transition to a modern, resource-

efficient and competitive economy. Thanks to green

modernization and low-emission technologies,

Europe will become climate neutral by 2050. To

achieve this, the Commission has set itself the

following objectives, among others:

1. ensure a safe and affordable energy supply in

the EU;

2. improve energy efficiency and promote

renewable energy sources;

3. develop green technologies and modern

infrastructure;

4. reduce transport emissions by 90%;

5. reduce the ecological footprint of the EU food

system, etc (Krichevsky, 2019).

Therefore, green technologies are at the center of

European efforts.

“No other region in the world has such a

comprehensive concept of climate protection as in the

Bekmurzayeva, R., Balaeva, K. and Shemilkhanova, A.

Green Technologies are an Integral Element in Environmental Protection.

DOI: 10.5220/0011556300003524

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Methods, Models, Technologies for Sustainable Development (MMTGE 2022) - Agroclimatic Projects and Carbon Neutrality, pages

141-146

ISBN: 978-989-758-608-8

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

141

European Green Deal. And no one else is as specific

and far-reaching as the EU with its legislative

packages to achieve climate goals.” The Green Deal

can also help Europe get back on its feet after the

corona crisis. In total, 1.8 trillion euros are invested

in the Green Deal from the NextGenerationEU

development package and the 7-year EU budget. This

is the largest stimulus package ever financed from the

EU budget. The main focus of the measures is on the

financing of modernization. Here are some programs

of the agreement: Horizon Europe is the EU's global

research and innovation programme. The focus is on

healthcare, sustainable development and

digitalization.

The Digital Europe program supports the "green

and digital transition" and promotes green

technologies in areas such as high-performance

computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, etc.

Let us take a closer look at the essence of the EU

climate policy and its possible impact on production

and markets in Europe, as well as beyond.

The climate policy of the European Union is the

main component of the new EU development

strategy, which is called the European Green Deal,

EGC (European Green Deal, EGD). For the first time,

the main and “main task of the current generation”

was recognized as the need to preserve the

environment, prevent the negative consequences of

climate change, and this is now the main direction of

the development of the European Union.

The European Green Deal will strategically mean

the development of activities in the following eight

areas:

1. Biodiversity or "blue economy" - increasing

the role of seas and oceans in economic

development, conservation and restoration of

ecosystems.

2. Smart Mobility - Switching to sustainable

modes of transport (including bicycles, electric

vehicles), reducing emissions of harmful

substances from internal combustion engines,

increasing the use of carbon-free fuels.

3. Modernization of industry - decarbonization of

energy-intensive industries, the maximum

reduction of waste, an increase in the share of

non-waste production, the introduction of the

principles of a circular economy, the

introduction of a border carbon tax.

4. Climate improvement - reducing emissions by

55% from 1990 levels by 2030, achieving

carbon neutrality by 2050,

5. Energy efficiency - development of renewable

energy sources, efficient integrated energy

systems.

6. Innovations in construction - reducing the

consumption of electrical and thermal energy

in the construction of new buildings and

structures by increasing energy efficiency,

renovation of old buildings and structures.

7. Development of organic agriculture "From

farm to table" - supporting healthy nutrition

programs, reducing the use of harmful

chemicals, reducing waste.

8. Zero pollution: reducing the use of harmful

chemicals in all industries, in private business,

in everyday life.

Considering that all these questions in one form or

another have been raised for a long time, one can ask

the question: “What is new in the European Green

Deal?” The answer is that the EBC is not just about

solving environmental problems. First of all, this is a

course towards changing economic, social and trade

policies in the new conditions of the modern world:

environmental destruction, climate change,

greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere as a

result of human activity. EGC's mission is to make

conservation of the environment and reduction of the

negative impact on the climate an integral part of the

development of the global economy.

The costs of implementing the European Green

Course are estimated at 1 trillion euros over the next

decade. The main sources of funds are expected to be

private business, investments, released capital due to

the elimination of outdated "dirty" technologies

(Lyandau, 2021).

In order to achieve the EU's climate and energy

goals, it is vital to invest in sustainable projects and

activities. COVID-19 has reinforced the need to

redirect money to sustainable projects to make the

economy, business and society more resilient to

climate and environmental shocks.

This requires a common language and a clear

definition of what is "sustainable". This has led to the

need to create a common classification system for

sustainable economic activity or "EU taxonomy".

The main feature of the EGD are mandatory

emission reduction targets. This "Green Course"

differs, for example, from the Paris Agreement, which

does not impose specific requirements on countries.

Some experts and politicians consider the specific

goals set by the EGD too soft, such as, for example,

the Green coalition of the European Parliament, which

states that the stuffing should be reduced to 65% by

2030. To others, on the contrary, they seem too harsh,

since for countries with high–carbon economies –

Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic - reducing

emissions means an inevitable decline in economic

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

142

growth. Also, rapid transformation will be difficult

and painful for the countries of Eastern Europe.

Therefore, the EGD assumes not just a reduction

in emissions, but also the implementation of this in the

format of a "fair transition". The restructuring of the

economy should take place in stages, with the

replacement of traditional industries with new ones.

Projects on their transformation are already being

implemented in the coal regions of Germany and

Poland.

Despite the active declaration of "green" strategies

in European countries, the European Union is forced

to import a large amount of resources and goods from

other countries that are not affected by the "green"

course. This contributes to the emergence of

additional risks in the implementation of EGD.

Therefore, one of the tasks of the EU is to ensure the

synchronization of the standards of foreign importing

companies with European standards.

This means that the EGD will affect not only the

European Union, but also all countries with economic

ties with the EU, in particular Russia.

According to the Paris Agreement, which was

signed and ratified by the Russian Federation, it

should reduce emissions by 2030 to 70% of the 1990

level, and in fact by 2018 this figure in Russia was

52%. Thus, the emissions plan has already been

exceeded. But the EU's proclaimed policy of

abandoning fossil fuels and decarbonization can

greatly affect the Russian economy, which is heavily

dependent on oil and gas exports.

Not only Russia may find itself in such a situation,

but also European countries themselves, where not all

energy companies will be able to comply with too

strict environmental standards. This may lead to an

outflow of such companies from the European market.

To avoid such risks, the European Union provides

mitigating factors and different transition periods for

dependent economies. Accordingly, relations with

Russia will also be built depending on specific

conditions and the current agenda.

The transition to a resource-intensive, climate-

friendly and sustainable economy is a necessary

development not only because of internationally

agreed commitments to protect the climate, the growth

of the world's population and increasing pressure on

the environment (for example, biodiversity, toxicity,

genetic modification). The shortage of raw materials

and the associated increase in the cost of materials are

increasingly becoming a driving force for change,

even in those sectors that have so far demonstrated

enormous inertia. First of all, this concerns fossil

resources and energy carriers. Their replacement

promises economic independence and environmental

protection. Thus, the demand for new technologies,

processes and products will grow all over the world,

especially in emerging market economies and

developing countries. However, rare metals and earths

also cause sensitive interference in many industries. A

Swiss study, in which the Wuppertal Institute

participated, recently showed how much the

technologies of the future depend on rare metals:

mobile phones, flat screens, digital cameras, cars and

wind farms could hardly be produced today without

these raw materials. The shortage of resources,

including in comparison with previous innovation

cycles, will cause a completely new quality and

quantity of basic innovations of nature-saving

technological progress ("GreenTech") and create

rapidly growing new markets. Digital cameras, cars

and wind farms today would hardly be possible

without these raw materials. The shortage of

resources, including in comparison with previous

innovation cycles, will cause a completely new quality

and quantity of basic innovations of nature-saving

technological progress ("GreenTech") and create

rapidly growing new markets. Digital cameras, cars

and wind farms today would hardly be possible

without these raw materials. The shortage of

resources, including in comparison with previous

innovation cycles, will cause a completely new quality

and quantity of basic innovations of nature-saving

technological progress ("GreenTech") and create

rapidly growing new markets.

What is green technology?

Green Technologies or "Greentech" obviously

refers to technologies that do not pollute the

environment. In a broader sense, the term also refers

to technologies that help reduce environmental

impacts — through energy conservation, waste

prevention, and necessary functions such as remote

monitoring and maintenance of devices with limited

carbon emissions. Examples of environmental

technologies include a wide range of industrial

applications, as well as sustainable products, services

and infrastructure.

Cities and organizations use clean technologies for

many reasons, including better environmental

management, including reducing costs and risks. For

example, mining can be extremely dangerous for

workers, but the development of environmentally

friendly technologies can lead to significant positive

changes in terms of safety, supporting more

sustainable and environmentally friendly methods

(Lipina, 2009).

Examples of green technologies.

Green technologies can help cities and businesses

achieve zero-emission targets. Here are some

Green Technologies are an Integral Element in Environmental Protection

143

examples that show what is meant by "green

technologies":

Wind power: Wind turbines for generating

electricity are among the most prominent new clean

energy technologies in the landscape, and wind farms

produce green energy from an infinitely renewable

source.

Solar Energy: Solar panels use photovoltaic cells

to collect energy directly from sunlight. The cost of

rooftop solar panels has declined over the past few

decades, and their use is increasing in both

commercial and residential areas.

Hydropower. Hydroelectric power plants are

another example of how energy and clean

technologies go hand in hand. Hydroelectric power

plants — one of the oldest forms of clean energy —

power cities around the world.

Smart Cities: Cities have huge potential to reduce

carbon emissions by optimizing critical services such

as lighting, water/wastewater treatment and garbage

collection. Many smart cities are investing in low-

carbon technologies to become cleaner, more livable

and more sustainable.

Smart Grids: Utilities use tools and financial

incentives to reduce peak loads and shift consumption

to off-peak hours, thereby reducing energy

consumption. In addition, utilities are increasingly

turning to renewable energy sources to meet demand.

Electric vehicles (EV) and charging systems.

Since automobiles are the world's largest emitter of

greenhouse gases, electric vehicles and electric

vehicle charging stations are among the fastest

growing forms of environmentally friendly

technologies.

Sustainable infrastructure: From smart lighting

and smart poles to more rational traffic management

and more rational construction methods —

infrastructure projects can make a big difference in

reducing environmental impacts.

Precision farming: Farming solutions using

environmentally friendly technologies help to save

water and reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides,

using them only where they are needed.

How do green technologies help us in our home

and personal life?

Consumer applications such as smart devices and

thermostats help make everyday life more energy

efficient. In addition to improving the quality of life,

environmentally friendly technologies also save

money by reducing household energy consumption

through more efficient heating and cooling.

Cities and organizations use clean technologies

for many reasons, including better environmental

management, including reducing costs and risks. For

example, mining can be extremely dangerous for

workers, but the development of environmentally

friendly technologies can lead to significant positive

changes in terms of safety, supporting more

sustainable and environmentally friendly methods.

Autonomous vehicles (AV) and drones can now

reach places that would be risky or time-consuming

for humans. We can more closely monitor conditions

and assets in extreme conditions, allowing operators

to quickly obtain information and eliminate

ambiguity, minimizing environmental impact.

Why are green technologies so important? The

critical need for sustainable technologies that protect

our resources and our environment. The importance

of eco-friendly technologies in promoting a greener

planet cannot be overstated. Today, businesses and

governments must use clean technologies to achieve

efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and create a

greener planet (Ralph, 2016).

Industry and urban infrastructure offer many

opportunities for low-carbon technologies that can

significantly reduce emissions.

The charging infrastructure makes it easy for

residents to find charging stations, creating an

additional incentive to switch from fuel-consuming

cars to electric vehicles.

Smart street lighting offers cities a great

opportunity to reduce energy consumption and

carbon emissions through the use of sensors and

automation.

Waste management increasingly uses

technologies that optimize the planning and use of

vehicles to improve energy efficiency and reduce

costs.

Cities in cold climates are looking for ways to

reduce the amount of salt used on roads in winter to

reduce environmental pollution.

Public transport systems are increasingly

switching to environmentally friendly technologies,

including hydropower and electricity, to reduce

emissions.

Incentives for the introduction of clean

technologies are extensive and include the need to

abandon non-renewable energy sources based on

environmental pollution, reducing business risks (for

example, oil spills and other environmental disasters)

and obtaining energy loans. In addition, clean

technologies open up new employment opportunities

for developers, data analysts, equipment installers,

maintenance personnel and other specialists in new

clean technology industries.

More and more companies are starting to pay

more attention to closed-loop business models.

Unlike the usual linear model, cyclic models focus on

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

144

recycling strategies and extending the life of the

product. In the past, the first initiatives were mainly

related to reducing packaging waste, especially if it

consists of plastic. The interest of consumers and

companies has been great since it became known

what a huge amount of plastic floats in the world's

oceans.

Circular economic approaches open up the idea of

limited resources in economic activity and help to

reduce emissions. This includes, for example,

reducing the use of chemicals, buying renewable

energy sources and restructuring the company's

processes towards an environmentally friendly value

chain.

Removing environmentally harmful products

from the market is an effective way to protect the

climate. For this reason, the European Green Deal —

the EU's carbon reduction and growth program —

highlights the importance of closed-loop economic

programs and models.

In the World Economic Forum's Global Risks

Report for 2020, water scarcity is named one of the

five main social risks of the next decade. The UN also

predicts that water availability will decrease by 40

percent by 2030. Businesses can no longer afford to

ignore water consumption. Instead, in the future they

will have to do more cleaning processes and draw up

new sets of rules in order to use water more

consciously. For example, it is necessary to check the

water consumption in production. It is also important

to reconsider the choice of production sites if they are

located in drought-prone regions, or if the local nature

is particularly worthy of protection. Companies

engaged in the rational use of water at an early stage

improve their image and increase their value.

In recent years, the rapid development of

intelligent technologies has given rise to many new

business models. Some of them can radically change

the energy industry. Two types of technologies are

involved: physical and virtual.

Examples of physical technologies include wind

turbines, photovoltaic batteries, electric vehicles,

electric grids, rechargeable batteries and other energy

sources. The performance of these technologies

continues to improve, while their cost continues to

decline. In addition, the Internet of Things creates the

possibility of intelligent integration of all these

technologies with each other through sensors. This

contributes to the decision of many end-users to rely

on renewable energy sources and intelligent electric

networks. On the one hand, to have better cost control

and security, and on the other hand, to benefit from

greater reliability of complex networks.

Virtual technologies such as big data, robotics and

artificial intelligence also help organizations operate

more sustainably by providing faster access to high-

quality information and optimizing knowledge-based

decision-making processes. Artificial intelligence, for

example, can predict when devices and machines will

fail, saving companies time, money and resources.

Blockchain-based platforms have also spread around

the world. They can change the way end users interact

with energy networks, as well as with each other.

Blockchain-based activities include, for example,

local energy markets that regulate exchange between

end users. But crowdsourcing, financing and selling

of renewable energy shares and trading of

environmental certificates of electricity are also

processed through the blockchain (Novikova, 2020).

Electric and automated vehicles are available as

everyday technologies. Their impact on the global

economy in the next decade could be huge.

Many countries have already significantly

reduced the use of fossil fuels for cars over the past

25 years, and with the growing interest of users in car

sharing, cities will have to change their infrastructure

even more in the future, and people will have to

change their mobility habits. The OECD makes an

interesting forecast: self-driving car fleets can replace

up to 90 percent of cars on urban roads in the near

future.

Of course, these changes in traffic have

implications for company employees and supply

chains. They require significant investments in new

fleets, charging stations and electrical networks.

However, in the long run, a well-managed transition

to general mobility and alternative transport systems

can bring great benefits and, of course, provide

fresher air in German cities.

Regenerative agriculture is another dynamic

change. In the course of climate change, biodiversity

is being lost, and agricultural soils are beginning to

lose nutrients. However, new methods can improve

soils in such a way that they retain carbon and at the

same time produce a crop rich in nutrients. This

includes, for example, growing two or more plants

together and using insects instead of chemical

pesticides (Stolbovoy, 2020).

Thanks to the development of the Internet of

Things, remote sensing systems and artificial

intelligence, automated agriculture based on data can

also gain a foothold in Germany in the long term. In

the UK, 60 percent of agricultural land is already

managed using precision techniques such as sensor

systems, cameras, drones, microphones, virtual field

maps, analysis tools and GPS-controlled tractors.

Investing in sustainable companies.

Green Technologies are an Integral Element in Environmental Protection

145

The interest of investors around the world in

sustainably managed companies is growing. As more

and more founders are engaged in the topic of

sustainable development, the interest of financiers is

also growing. Black Rock CEO Larry Fink recently

stated in his company's annual letter that they want to

avoid investing in companies that pose a high risk in

terms of sustainability. The EU is also increasingly

putting sustainable development issues on the agenda.

And in its action plan for financing sustainable

growth, the EU Commission obliges companies to

disclose climate-related risks in order to finance a

zero-CO2 economy (Sudas, 2017).

Environmental protection is becoming an

increasingly important economic factor. This

indicates the development of an ecological economy

and green future markets, such as environmentally

friendly energy production, energy efficiency, raw

materials and materials, sustainable mobility,

sustainable water management, waste management

and recycling management. Therefore, a progressive

environmental policy is also necessary from an

economic point of view. Thus, "green" technologies

can be found in many sectors, and they can be

described as a complex of environmental

technologies and services. The goal is always to

protect the climate, environment and resources,

which sustainable technologies achieve at the stage of

use (Ivanova, 2017).

Environmental protection has long established

itself as an important economic factor. This indicates

the development of the environmental economy,

which, as an intersectoral industry, includes all

companies offering goods and services in the field of

environmental protection. Environmental economics

includes such areas as waste management and

recycling, water protection and wastewater treatment,

air pollution control, noise reduction, renewable

energy sources, environmentally friendly products,

rational use of energy, climate protection, as well as

measurement, control and regulation technologies.

Thus, there is a growing demand worldwide for

environmental and climate protection technologies,

as well as for products that are environmentally

friendly and resource-saving. As a result, the

economic importance of environmental protection

will increase in the future.

4 CONCLUSIONS

1. Environmental protection is becoming an

increasingly important economic factor. Since

the level of negative human impact on nature is

drastically increasing, accordingly, the

environment needs protection.

2. Environmental economics includes such areas

as waste management and recycling, water

protection and wastewater treatment, air

pollution control, noise reduction, renewable

energy sources, environmentally friendly

products, rational use of energy, climate

protection, as well as measurement, control and

regulation technologies.

3. In the modern world, "green" technologies can

be found in many sectors, and they can be

described as a complex of environmental

technologies and services. The goal is always

to protect the climate, environment and

resources, which sustainable technologies

achieve at the stage of use.

4. Worldwide, there is a growing demand for

environmental and climate protection

technologies, as well as for products that are

environmentally friendly and resource-saving.

As a result, the economic importance of

environmental protection will increase in the

future.

REFERENCES

Krichevsky, G. E., 2019. Green and nature-like

technologies - the basis of sustainable development for

future technologies.

Lyandau, Y. V., Maslennikov, V. V., Biryukov, E. S.,

Kalinina, I. A., Sadykova, K. V., Mrochkovsky, N. S.,

Elina, O. A., Zakharova, T. I., 2021. Green

technologies in entrepreneurship (Bachelor's degree,

Master's degree). p. 118.

Lipina, S. A., Agapova, E. V., Lipina A. V., 2009.

Development of the green economy in Russia:

opportunities and prospects.

Ralph, F., 2016. Green Revolution: Economic growth

without damage to the environment.

Novikova, E. V., 2020. Legal support of the "green"

economy.

Stolbovoy, V. S., 2020. Regenerative agriculture and

climate change mitigation in Achievements of science

and technology of the agro-industrial complex, 34(7).

Sudas L.G., 2017. Business for sustainable development.

Public administration in Electronic bulletin №64.

Ivanova N.I., Levchenko L.V., 2017. "Green" economy:

essence, principles and prospects in Vestn. Om. unta.

Ser. "Economy". 2(58). pp. 19-28.

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

146