Cases / Protected area / relocation · Russia · 2007–2018
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: environmental pledges and the Mzymta valley
Nature's voice · report
My Mzymta river lost the spawning and nursery grounds of the Black Sea trout along 57 km from its mouth, according to a study published in January 2018. Natural reproduction of the migratory form discontinued.
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record. Disputed
Recorded
- During four years of Olympic construction the pebble-boulder bed of my Mzymta was covered by clay sediments and finely dispersed mineral particles. Along about 40 km between the construction zone and the sea, zoobenthos biomass declined and food for juvenile Black Sea salmon dropped, according to a 2017 study. Baryshev, Veselov, Efremov, Ruch'ev, Pavlov
- At least 194 hectares of my Sochi National Park forest land were lost to the combined Adler–Krasnaya Polyana road, according to EWNC citing Russian Railways’ compensation programme. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
- In 2012 Rosprirodnadzor found 28,817 of 55,133 transplanted rare plants dead at two planting areas of 2009, according to EWNC. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
- Independent tests ordered by WWF Russia in April 2010 found arsenic at 3 times the maximum permissible concentration in some areas of my waters, oil products at 35 times and phenol at 60 times, according to EWNC. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
- According to AP, moisture from the Akhshtyr construction-waste dump seeps through karst rock into the springs that feed my Mzymta, and wells in the village dried up when construction began. The Moscow Times
- 57 km of my rivers were polluted.Mzymta main channel: spawning and nursery grounds of the Black Sea trout destroyed from the river mouth.
- About 40 km of my rivers were polluted.Zoobenthos biomass declined between the construction zone and the sea.
- At least 194 hectares of my forest were lost.Sochi National Park forest land lost to the combined road (EWNC, citing Russian Railways' compensation programme).
What the record lacks: 4 none on record · 2 not disclosed · 1 insufficient · 1 self-reported only · 1 not measured · 9 disputed · 8 unclear See the gaps
Accounts of the harm differ
What was dumped at Akhshtyr and whether it was removed
- Government and regulators Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister: Only tunnel soil was dumped, which “only improves the landscape of the Sochi National Park”. Construction Equipment Guide
- Press and investigations Associated Press: Observed and reported spray cans, tyres, foam sheets and concrete slabs at the site. The Moscow Times
- Government and regulators Local officials: 300 tons of waste were removed; AP saw dumping continue. The Moscow Times
- Company or project Russian Railways: Paid the fine and blamed a subcontractor. The Moscow Times
Waste handling during Olympic construction
- International bodies IOC: “97% of construction waste was directly used in the construction of Olympic facilities.” International Olympic Committee
- Press and investigations Associated Press: The Olympic budget had “no provisions for treating construction waste” and recycling facilities were removed from the plan. The Moscow Times
- Communities and civil society EWNC: Called the programme “Zero Waste: Zero Successes”. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
Sochi air quality after construction
- Government and regulators President Putin: Air pollution was half its 2007 level; no measuring body or dataset given. President of Russia
- Communities and civil society EWNC: Its report has a chapter titled “The Myth of ‘Clean’ Air”. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
Protected areas in the Imereti lowland
- International bodies IOC: “Protected natural areas were expanded.” International Olympic Committee
- Communities and civil society EWNC: The ornithological park is “8 times smaller than the area that was scientifically proven” and fragmented: 298 hectares in 14 lots, 100 hectares of them on the lowland itself. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
Compensation planting of Red Book plants
- Company or project Russian Railways: Gave varying planting figures: 74,000 in 2011 plus 163,000 from 2012; 70,000 for 2009–2012; 55,000. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
- Government and regulators Rosprirodnadzor (as cited by EWNC): Permission covered 242,561 Red Book plants and 53,125 were transplanted (March 2010 report); in 2012, 28,817 of 55,133 transplanted rare plants at two 2009 planting areas were dead. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
The 2014 Winter Games were built partly inside Sochi National Park and along the Mzymta river, with a UNEP advisory role and a 2011 declaration of commitments. Peer-reviewed studies recorded the loss of Black Sea trout spawning grounds along 57 km of the river, and an environmental defender from the group that documented the damage was imprisoned and later released.
57 kmBlack Sea trout spawning and nursery grounds destroyed along the Mzymta
Journal of Ichthyology, January 2018, measured from the river mouth; natural reproduction of the migratory form discontinued.
Journal of Ichthyology, January 2018, measured from the river mouth; natural reproduction of the migratory form discontinued.
Status Latest dated sources: a 2018 peer-reviewed study of the Mzymta trout; no UNEP assessment after the Games on record; Akhshtyr claim dismissed in September 2014; Vitishko released on 22 December 2015.
What?
Olympic venues and the Adler–Krasnaya Polyana road and railway were built in Sochi National Park, the Mzymta valley and the Imereti lowland under environmental commitments from the bid, UNEP and a 2011 declaration. Peer-reviewed studies recorded destroyed trout spawning grounds along 57 km of the Mzymta; a waste dump at Akhshtyr and the imprisonment of an environmental defender were reported. Pavlov, Veselov, Kostin, Efremov, Ruchiev, Tuniev
Where?
Imereti lowland and Olympic Park in Adler; the Mzymta valley from Adler to Krasnaya Polyana and Roza Khutor; the Grushevy ridge in Sochi National Park next to the Caucasus State Biosphere Reserve; the Akhshtyr quarry on the Mzymta; Tuapse, where the defender’s case was heard. International Olympic Committee
When?
Bid and IOC report 2007; UNEP missions 2008 and 2010; declaration 23 March 2011; Games 7–23 February 2014; Akhshtyr dismissal 4 September 2014; Vitishko released 22 December 2015; trout study January 2018. International Olympic Committee
Who?
Gained
Lost
- Russian Railways — Paid a USD 3,000 fine in August 2013; its representative said in court that about RUB 2 million in fines had been paid. Caucasian Knot
- Yevgeniy Vitishko, EWNC — Sentenced to three years in a prison colony (converted from a conditional sentence on 20 December 2013); released on 22 December 2015. Amnesty International
Harmed
- Mzymta river — Spawning and nursery grounds of the Black Sea trout destroyed along 57 km from the mouth; zoobenthos biomass declined along about 40 km. Pavlov, Veselov, Kostin, Efremov, Ruchiev, Tuniev
- Residents of Akhshtyr — Village wells dried up when construction began (AP). The Moscow Times
- Sochi National Park and Imereti lowland — At least 194 ha of forest land lost to the combined road; the ornithological park covers 100 ha on the lowland itself against about 800 ha proposed by scientists (EWNC). Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
Why?
The Games and the Sochi development programme required venues, roads and rail in a protected-area region. Russian Railways’ representative said in court that the Akhshtyr quarry operations were a government task carried out under deadline pressure. UNEP said in 2010 that the assessments did not account for cumulative effects. Caucasian Knot
How?
Venues were built inside Sochi National Park after a rezoning that permitted tourism infrastructure; UNEP facilitated a declaration of commitments in 2011; the IOC and UNEP promoted zero-waste, climate-neutral and harmony-with-nature themes; EWNC reported that the integrated monitoring UNEP recommended in 2010 was never established. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
The IOC Evaluation Commission report of June 2007 recorded that seven competition and non-competition venues would be built within Sochi National Park, “directly impacting on approximately 800 hectares (0.5% of the total area of the park)”. Two of them, the Krasnaya Polyana Olympic Village and the sliding venue, would sit in the buffer zone of the Caucasus State Biosphere Reserve. The Commission noted that a recent rezoning of the park permitted tourism and recreation infrastructure and that legal action against the government over the Federal Target Programme and the park developments was still pending. It stated an organising committee budget of USD 1.517 billion, non-organising-committee capital investment of USD 8.8 billion (USD 3.6 billion of it incremental to the Games), and a programme funded 60% from public sources and 40% from private investment. Of the environmental fees charged to developers, USD 7.1 million was to go to an environmental education centre and USD 8.3 million to construction-related compensation measures in Sochi National Park.
In June 2008 Caucasian Knot reported that UNEP had backed appeals by WWF and Greenpeace Russia to move the sliding complex and the Olympic Village off the Grushevy ridge; the Ministry of Natural Resources replied that the appeals had been misinterpreted and that it had no plans to relocate any objects. On 3 July 2008 Prime Minister Putin said the sledge-bobsleigh track, the mountain village and the water intake would be relocated in coordination with the IOC. In 2010 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee commended the decision to relocate the venues away from the Grushevy ridge and upper Mzymta valley and requested a comprehensive monitoring programme for wildlife population trends. A UNEP expert mission of 28–30 January 2010, which reviewed the combined Adler–Krasnaya Polyana road and railway, found that the assessments had been conducted mostly on available literature and had not taken cumulative effects into account, and recommended third-party monitoring and a landscape restoration plan for the Mzymta valley.
On 23 March 2011 Olympstroy, Russian Railways, Roza Khutor, Krasnaya Polyana, Gazprom, FGC UES and the Krasnodar Region Administration signed a UNEP-facilitated declaration of commitments to develop and implement a comprehensive restoration plan for the Mzymta basin ecosystem. UNEP submitted 17 environmental projects to the organising committee in the same period and, in July 2012, proposed close to 90 projects to limit the impact of infrastructure around Sochi National Park. The IOC's 2015 facts sheet listed organiser claims including that 97% of construction waste was used in Olympic facilities, more than 850 animals were relocated and every felled tree was replaced with two to five saplings.
In October and November 2013 the Associated Press reported on a dump for construction waste and tunnel soil that Russian Railways ran in a former limestone quarry at Akhshtyr, inside a water protection zone. According to AP, authorities confirmed that the company operated it without a licence, moisture seeped through karst rock into springs feeding the Mzymta, and village wells dried up when construction began. Russian Railways paid a USD 3,000 fine in August 2013 and blamed a subcontractor; Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said only tunnel soil had been dumped. A claim by the public movement “Law and Order” to restore the quarry and remove the waste was dismissed by the Adler District Court of Sochi on 4 September 2014. Bellona reported in November 2014 that promised closure of the quarry, gas, deeper wells and a road had not been delivered.
Peer-reviewed studies of the Mzymta recorded that spawning and nursery grounds of the Black Sea trout were destroyed along 57 km from the river mouth and that zoobenthos biomass declined along about 40 km below the construction zone. President Putin put the total cost of the Olympics at 214 billion rubles on 19 January 2014; Interfax reported in April 2015 that the Accounts Chamber gave 324.9 billion rubles. Yevgeniy Vitishko of Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (EWNC) was convicted in Tuapse in June 2012 over damage to a fence in a protected forest, was ordered to serve the three-year sentence in a prison colony on 20 December 2013, and was released on 22 December 2015; Amnesty International called him a prisoner of conscience.
- 2007IOC Evaluation Commission report (June); IOC awards the Games (July)
- 2008UNEP backs appeals to move venues off the Grushevy ridge (reported 2 Jun); Putin announces relocation in coordination with the IOC (3 Jul)
- 2010UNEP second expert mission (28–30 Jan; report released 16 Mar); UNESCO decision 34 COM 7B.24
- 2011Declaration of commitments for the Mzymta basin signed (23 Mar)
- 2012Vitishko convicted in Tuapse (June); UNEP and partners propose close to 90 projects (July)
- 2013Supreme Court notes failings in lower courts in the Gazaryan challenge (21 Oct); AP reports on the Akhshtyr dump (31 Oct–1 Nov); Vitishko’s sentence converted to prison colony (20 Dec)
- 2014Vitishko detained 15 days (3 Feb) and appeal rejected (12 Feb); Games held 7–23 Feb; Akhshtyr claim dismissed (4 Sep)
- 2015Accounts Chamber cost figures reported by Interfax (10 Apr); Vitishko released (22 Dec)
- 2018Journal of Ichthyology study on Black Sea trout in the Mzymta (January)
What was said
Claims, in the words of those who made them.
“The overall cost of the Olympics has been announced; it is 214 billion rubles.”
“the air pollution is half its 2007 level”
“did not take into account the cumulative and synergetic effects of the various projects on the ecosystems of the Sochi region and its population”
“a comprehensive programme to monitor the impacts of all Olympic facilities and tourism facilities on wildlife population trends”
“Our role is not a role of judgment, but of facilitating dialogue.”
“we do not want to be part of a green PR for the Olympic projects”
“Authorities are telling us that this quarry is illegal and that it has been closed, but you can see that it's still here.”
“we have paid to the budget about 2 million roubles of fines for violations”
“the most expensive and destructive Olympic project”
“Amnesty International believes that Yevgeniy Vitishko is a prisoner of conscience, and that he should be immediately and unconditionally released.”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
What was dumped at Akhshtyr and whether it was removed
Government and regulators
Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister
Only tunnel soil was dumped, which “only improves the landscape of the Sochi National Park”.
Construction Equipment GuidePress and investigations
Associated Press
Observed and reported spray cans, tyres, foam sheets and concrete slabs at the site.
The Moscow TimesGovernment and regulators
Local officials
300 tons of waste were removed; AP saw dumping continue.
The Moscow TimesWaste handling during Olympic construction
International bodies
IOC
“97% of construction waste was directly used in the construction of Olympic facilities.”
International Olympic CommitteePress and investigations
Associated Press
The Olympic budget had “no provisions for treating construction waste” and recycling facilities were removed from the plan.
The Moscow TimesCommunities and civil society
EWNC
Called the programme “Zero Waste: Zero Successes”.
Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)Sochi air quality after construction
Government and regulators
President Putin
Air pollution was half its 2007 level; no measuring body or dataset given.
President of RussiaCommunities and civil society
EWNC
Its report has a chapter titled “The Myth of ‘Clean’ Air”.
Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)Protected areas in the Imereti lowland
Communities and civil society
EWNC
The ornithological park is “8 times smaller than the area that was scientifically proven” and fragmented: 298 hectares in 14 lots, 100 hectares of them on the lowland itself.
Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)Compensation planting of Red Book plants
Company or project
Russian Railways
Gave varying planting figures: 74,000 in 2011 plus 163,000 from 2012; 70,000 for 2009–2012; 55,000.
Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)Government and regulators
Rosprirodnadzor (as cited by EWNC)
Permission covered 242,561 Red Book plants and 53,125 were transplanted (March 2010 report); in 2012, 28,817 of 55,133 transplanted rare plants at two 2009 planting areas were dead.
Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)Cost of the Games
Government and regulators
Accounts Chamber (as reported by Interfax)
RUB 324.9 billion for preparing and holding the Games.
InterfaxThe fence in the case against Vitishko and Gazaryan
Communities and civil society
Amnesty International
A fence erected in a protected forest, owned by ZAO Agrokompleks; the defence expert put the damage at under USD 30.
Amnesty InternationalPress and investigations
Meduza
Described slogans painted on the fence of the dacha of the then governor of Krasnodar region.
MeduzaHow it looked
What was shown, beside what was recorded.
Shown
- Listed “Harmony with nature” among Sochi 2014’s sustainability objectives.IOC, environment factsheet · International Olympic Committee
- Four action-plan themes: “Zero Waste Games”, “Climate Neutral Games”, “Games in Harmony with Nature” and “Enlightenment Games”.UNEP, Sochi 2014 microsite · UNEP
- “97% of construction waste was directly used in the construction of Olympic facilities”; “Every felled tree was replaced with two to five saplings, and more than 168,000 trees and shrubs were planted in Sochi”; “Protected natural areas were expanded”.IOC, Sochi 2014 Facts & Figures · International Olympic Committee
- “Sochi 2014 fully mitigated its direct Games carbon footprint before the Games through the ‘Sustainable Future’ program”, run by Dow as Official Carbon Partner; no tonnage or price stated.IOC, Sochi 2014 Facts & Figures · International Olympic Committee
- Air pollution at half its 2007 level, credited to cleaner fuel in power generation, new gas pipelines and substations, and the clean-up of two dumps; no measuring body or dataset named.President Putin, 19 January 2014 · President of Russia
- “Olympic Park will exclude uncontrolled development of the territory. No long-term negative impact is expected.”Sochi bid book, as quoted by EWNC · Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
Recorded
- UNEP, January 2010: environmental assessments conducted mostly on available literature; cumulative effects not taken into account; decisions on mitigation and compensation, including enlarging Sochi National Park, “taking too long”.
- Mzymta benthos, four years of Olympic construction: pebble-boulder bed covered by clay sediments and finely dispersed mineral particles; zoobenthos biomass declined and food for juvenile Black Sea salmon dropped along about 40 km between the construction zone and the sea.
- Black Sea trout: spawning and nursery grounds destroyed along 57 km from the river mouth; total grounds in the Mzymta basin 572,800 m2, 49% of it above the Krasnopolyanskaya Power Plant dam; natural reproduction of the migratory form discontinued; a 2.4 km stretch below the Pslukh inflow in the process of natural restoration.
- Russian Railways fines: USD 3,000 from the regional environmental agency for unauthorised dumping of construction waste and excavation soil (paid August 2013); about RUB 2 million in fines in total, per its representative in court (September 2014).
- Akhshtyr claim against Russian Railways and public institutions dismissed by the Adler District Court of Sochi on 4 September 2014.
- Imereti ornithological park approved 1 October 2012: 14 land lots, 298 hectares, of which 100 hectares in 9 lots on the lowland itself; scientists had proposed about 800 hectares (EWNC).
- Forest loss and transplanting (EWNC, citing Russian Railways’ compensation programme and Rosprirodnadzor): at least 194 ha of Sochi National Park forest land lost to the combined road; 53,125 of 242,561 permitted Red Book plants transplanted; 28,817 of 55,133 transplanted rare plants found dead in 2012.
- Yevgeniy Vitishko: convicted in Tuapse (June 2012), sentence converted to prison colony (20 December 2013), appeal rejected (12 February 2014), released 22 December 2015.
Who gained
Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.
Reached nature or the ground
Not published
Bid: environmental fees to an environmental education centre (USD)7.1m
Bid: construction-related compensation environmental measures in Sochi National Park (USD)8.3m
Organising Committee: sustainable development projects (RUB)> 16.2bn
No breakdown given in the IOC facts sheet.
Imereti ornithological park administration, trails and buildings (RUB)600m
EWNC states USD 20 million.
Russian Railways fine, unauthorised dumping (USD)0m
Gained elsewhere
Not totalled
Putin: overall cost of the Olympics (RUB)214bn
Accounts Chamber, via Interfax: costs of preparing and holding the Games (RUB)324.9bn
RUB 221,000m private investment; RUB 103,300m federal budget; RUB 600m Krasnodar region and Sochi budgets.
Organising committee revenues (RUB)85.4bn
Bid: organising committee budget (USD)1.5bn
Bid: non-organising-committee capital investment (USD)8.8bn
USD 3,600m of it incremental to the Games.
AP: Russia’s Olympic budget (USD)51bn
AP: Adler–Krasnaya Polyana road and rail link, 48 km (RUB)270bn
AP gives USD 8.5 billion; Bellona gives USD 8.7 billion.
Currency: Mixed — see each line · Window: 2007–2015, as stated by each source. All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.
Responses on record
- Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister (as quoted by AP) (November 2013): Admitted “certain violations” at Akhshtyr but said only tunnel soil was dumped, which “only improves the landscape of the Sochi National Park”; his spokesman said the situation was under control. · Construction Equipment Guide
- Russian Railways (2013–2014): Said it paid the fine and blamed a subcontractor; in court a representative said the quarry operations “were not subjected to the state ecological expertise” and that the company was carrying out a government task under deadline pressure. · Caucasian Knot
- Olympstroy (October 2013): A spokeswoman, not named by AP, said the state corporation had no legal mechanisms to address complaints and that law enforcement and federal authorities should handle them. · The Moscow Times
- IOC (October 2013): Told AP that Sochi 2014 assured it of its commitment to Games-time waste management and placed responsibility for pre-Games waste with Olympstroy. · The Moscow Times
- Ministry of Natural Resources (June 2008): Said UNEP’s appeals on the Grushevy ridge had been misinterpreted and that it had no plans to relocate any objects; the position changed on 3 July 2008 when Putin announced relocation. · Caucasian Knot
- UNEP (March 2010): Its 2010 mission called for third-party monitoring and said the level of reluctance to engage with or listen to each other called for action from both sides. · UNEP
- WWF Russia and Greenpeace Russia (January 2011): Resigned as advisers to Olympstroy in February 2010 and boycotted the January 2011 UNEP visit. · The Moscow Times
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2012–2012Claimant wonProsecution of Yevgeniy Vitishko and Suren Gazaryan (damage to a fence)Court in Tuapse · Criminal · Prosecution → Yevgeniy Vitishko (EWNC activist); Suren Gazaryan
Convicted in June 2012 under Article 167 part 2 of the Criminal Code (damage to property motivated by hooliganism) over damage on 13 November 2011 to a fence in a protected forest in Krasnodar region; sentenced to three years of prison colony conditionally with a two-year probation period. Amnesty states the defence expert put the damage under USD 30 and that the verdict used a prosecution figure almost 138 times higher. Amnesty International
- 2013Outcome not on recordGazaryan challenge before the Supreme Court of the Russian FederationSupreme Court of the Russian Federation · Appeal · Suren Gazaryan → Prosecution
On 21 October 2013 the Supreme Court noted failings in the lower courts and held that the legality of the fence and the identity of its legal owner should have been considered. Amnesty states that Gazaryan left the country and received asylum abroad. Amnesty International
- 2013Claimant wonConversion of Vitishko’s conditional sentenceCourt in Krasnodar region (not named) · Criminal · Prosecution → Yevgeniy Vitishko
On 20 December 2013 a court ruled that he had broken the travel restrictions of his conditional sentence and must serve the three years in a prison colony. Amnesty International
- 2014Claimant wonVitishko: 15 days’ detention and rejected appealCourt in Krasnodar region; Krasnodar regional court (appeal) · Appeal · Prosecution → Yevgeniy Vitishko
On 3 February 2014 he was found guilty of petty hooliganism (alleged swearing at a bus stop) the day of his arrest and sentenced to 15 days’ detention. On 12 February 2014 the Krasnodar regional court rejected his appeal against the conversion of his sentence; he took part by video link. Amnesty International
- 2015–2015Reduced on appealVitishko: replacement of the sentence and releaseRussian court (not named) · Appeal · Prosecution → Yevgeniy Vitishko
The sentence was replaced with restriction of liberty in November 2015 and the prosecution appealed; a court confirmed his release on 22 December 2015. Meduza
- 2014–2014Dismissed“Law and Order” v. Russian Railways and public institutions (Akhshtyr quarry)Adler District Court of Sochi · Civil · Public movement “Law and Order” → Russian Railways and public institutions
Filed in March 2014 to restore the quarry and remove the waste; dismissed on 4 September 2014. The claimants said they would appeal. Caucasian Knot
- 2013–2013Claimant won$0m fine, paid August 2013Fine for dumping at AkhshtyrRegional environmental agency · Regulatory · Regional environmental agency → Russian Railways
A USD 3,000 fine for unauthorised dumping of construction waste and soil from excavation works, paid in August 2013; the company blamed a subcontractor. The Moscow Times
- Outcome not on recordRezoning of Sochi National Park (action against the government)Russian court (not named) · Administrative · Not stated → Government of Russia
The IOC Evaluation Commission recorded in June 2007 that legal action against the government over the Federal Target Programme and developments in Sochi National Park was still pending. International Olympic Committee
- 2013Claimant wonGravel-taking sentences, Mzymta riverRussian courts (not named) · Criminal · Prosecution → Various defendants
EWNC reported that from 2010 to 2013 at least 26 criminal sentences were passed for taking gravel from the Mzymta, and that at least 1.5 million tons were taken from the river in 2007–2010. Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch)
- 2012–Outcome not on recordCriminal libel case against EWNC coordinator Andrey RudomakhaRussian court (not named) · Criminal · Prosecution → Andrey Rudomakha, EWNC coordinator
A criminal libel case opened in December 2012. Human Rights Watch reported that authorities detained three EWNC activists from late October 2013 (Rudomakha, deputy coordinator Dmitry Shevchenko and Vitishko) and that all three were released. Human Rights Watch
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What nature saw
Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
Trout spawning grounds destroyed
57 km
Mzymta main channel from the mouth; 2018 study
Environmental measures in the bid
USD 8.3m
Compensation measures in Sochi National Park, 2007
Games cost, Accounts Chamber via Interfax
RUB 324.9bn
Putin stated RUB 214bn
Prison colony sentence, environmental defender
3 years
Vitishko; released 22 December 2015
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
Court
Record
- None on record None on record: a UNEP assessment published after the Games.
- None on record None on record: a report from the third-party monitoring programme that UNEP recommended in 2010 and UNESCO requested in 2010.
- None on record None on record: a published comprehensive restoration plan for the Mzymta basin ecosystem under the 2011 declaration.
- None on record None on record: a court ruling attributing environmental damage to the Games organisers or to Russian Railways.
- Insufficient Insufficient: UNEP found in 2010 that field data on hydro-ecology were insufficient and that the assessments did not account for cumulative effects.
- Not measured Not measured: the effect of the Akhshtyr dump on the Mzymta springs; a geologist quoted by AP said it could not be judged without a chemical analysis and geological survey, and none is reported.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: a breakdown of the RUB 16.2 billion sustainability spend and a total cost of the Games in the IOC facts sheet.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: where the Akhshtyr waste ended up; Bellona reported there was no documentary proof.
- Unclear Unclear: how many trees and bushes were planted; EWNC wrote in 2014 that this was “still not clear”.
- Unclear Unclear: the exact amount of construction waste buried on the territory of Sochi, which EWNC described as unknown.
- Unclear Unclear: whether Sochi National Park was enlarged as UNEP recommended in 2010; the IOC states only that protected natural areas were expanded.
- Unclear Unclear: the outcome of the appeal announced after the Akhshtyr claim was dismissed in 2014, and the current state of the quarry.
- Unclear Unclear: the outcome of the litigation over the Sochi National Park rezoning that the IOC described as pending in 2007.
- Disputed Figures differ: cost of the Games — Putin gives RUB 214 billion; the Accounts Chamber, as reported by Interfax, gives RUB 324.9 billion; AP gives USD 51 billion for the Olympic budget. The sources do not reconcile the figures.
- Disputed Figures differ: Adler–Krasnaya Polyana link — AP gives RUB 270 billion (USD 8.5 billion); Bellona gives USD 8.7 billion.
- Self-reported only Self-reported only: the organisers’ figures on waste reuse (97%), animals relocated (more than 850), plants replanted (more than 2,000) and trees planted (more than 168,000) come from the IOC facts sheet.
Did the harm stop?
Not stopped on record: a January 2018 study found natural reproduction of the migratory Black Sea trout in the Mzymta discontinued, with a 2.4 km stretch below the Pslukh inflow in the process of natural restoration.
Who paid?
The Accounts Chamber, as reported by Interfax, put the cost of preparing and holding the Games at RUB 324.9 billion: RUB 221 billion private investment, RUB 103.3 billion federal budget and RUB 0.6 billion regional and Sochi budgets. Russian Railways paid a USD 3,000 fine for the Akhshtyr dump. No compensation for the loss of Mzymta spawning grounds is on record.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project✓ Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society✓ Researchers✓ International bodies
Government and regulators
- IOC 2014 Evaluation Commission Report, XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014International Olympic Committee · 2007-06
- Factsheet: Sochi 2014 Facts & FiguresInternational Olympic Committee · 2015-02-01
- Interview to Russian and foreign mediaPresident of Russia · 2014-01-19
- Factsheet: The Environment and Sustainable Development (update January 2014)International Olympic Committee · 2014-01
Press and investigations
- Sochi Landfill Waste Threatens Drinking Water (AP)The Moscow Times · 2013-10-31
- Russia Breaks ‘Zero Waste’ Olympic Pledge (AP, N. Vasilyeva)Construction Equipment Guide · 2013-11-01
- UN Accused of Greenwashing SochiThe Moscow Times · 2011-01-25
- UN ecologists call on Russia to revise location of Sochi Olympiad sitesCaucasian Knot · 2008-06-02
- Russian government to move some Sochi Olympic sites to other placesCaucasian Knot · 2008-07-03
- Court dismisses claim against Russian Railways over Akhshtyr quarryCaucasian Knot · 2014-09-05
Communities and civil society
- Promises to bring water to Olympic stricken village remain a pipe dreamBellona · 2014-11-11
- Sochi-2014: independent environmental reportEnvironmental Watch on North Caucasus (hosted by CEE Bankwatch) · 2014-03-18
- Russia: Activist sent to prison for three years for environmental activism (EUR 46/012/2014)Amnesty International · 2014-02-14
- Urgent Action: Environmental activist loses appeal: Yevgeniy Vitishko (EUR 46/013/2014)Amnesty International · 2014-02-18
- Russia: Stop Harassing Environmental ActivistsHuman Rights Watch · 2013-11-21
- Dispatches: Down the Russian Rabbit Hole of Injustice (with update)Human Rights Watch · 2015-12-21
Researchers
- Benthic Disturbance-Recovery Dynamics after Construction Impact in Mountain River Mzymta (Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 17(6))Baryshev, Veselov, Efremov, Ruch'ev, Pavlov · 2017
- Current State of Conditions for Reproduction of the Black Sea Trout Salmo trutta labrax in the Mzymta River (Journal of Ichthyology)Pavlov, Veselov, Kostin, Efremov, Ruchiev, Tuniev · 2018-01
International bodies
- Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics turn green, adopting UN-backed plansUN News · 2011-03-23
- Russia needs a greener plan for 2014 Winter Olympics, UN report statesUN News · 2010-03-16
- Russia and UNEP sign agreement to strengthen partnershipUNEP · 2013-04-16
- Decision 34 COM 7B.24, Western Caucasus (Russian Federation)UNESCO World Heritage Committee · 2010
Connected cases
Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.
- Russia labels WWF Russia a foreign agent, then an undesirable organisation Russia · 2023 Related matter
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: Conservation organisation designated a foreign agent, then an undesirable organisation
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Declared undesirable on 19 May 2023
- Russia declares WWF and Greenpeace 'undesirable' organisations Russia · 2023 Related matter
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Declared undesirable and closed in Russia
- Baikal Natural Territory: expertise exemptions and clear-cutting rules Russia · 2020–2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee (International organisation) — here: Decision 34 COM 7B.24 on the Western Caucasus; there: 48th session, July 2026; draft decision proposed in-danger listing
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Sets the list of objects under Article 25.1(3); Deputy Prime Minister statements
- Russian Railways (RZD) (Company) — here: Built the Adler–Krasnaya Polyana link; operated the Akhshtyr dump; paid fines; there: Operator of the BAM and Trans-Siberian railways; beneficiary of the Article 25.1 regime
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Criticised the 2020 law (Greenpeace Russia)
- ESPO oil pipeline rerouted away from the Baikal shore (2006) Russia · 2005–2008
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: President ordered the reroute; Prime Minister approved the route
- Russian Railways (RZD) (Company) — here: Built the Adler–Krasnaya Polyana link; operated the Akhshtyr dump; paid fines; there: Argued at Tomsk that rail transport near Baikal is riskier than the pipeline
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: Co-authored a report on the pipeline's harm
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Co-authored a report on the pipeline's harm (Greenpeace Russia)
- Arctic Sunrise seizure at the Prirazlomnaya platform: ITLOS bond, PCA arbitration, 2019 settlement and ECtHR judgment Russia · 2012–2023
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Respondent; did not appear before ITLOS or the PCA tribunal; settled in 2019
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: Commented in 2013 on the lack of a spill-response plan for ice conditions
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Greenpeace Russia: contested the platform's spill-response plan
- Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill: closure and waste clean-up Russia · 1966–2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee (International organisation) — here: Decision 34 COM 7B.24 on the Western Caucasus; there: Decisions 35 COM 7B.23 and 37 COM 7B.22
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Decree No. 1; funded wages and clean-up; named contractors
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Co-applicant against Decree No. 1 (Greenpeace Russia)
- Russia's forest-fire control zones and federal fire-service funding Russia · 2015–2026
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Reserve-fund Order No. 2740-r (2026); Decree No. 382 issued by the President
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: Commentary on zones and funding
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Greenpeace Russia: commentary and satellite-based estimates
- Avacha Bay marine die-off, Kamchatka, autumn 2020 Russia · 2020–2022
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: NGO commenting on data publication
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: NGO; Greenpeace Russia satellite analysis
- Hardwood logging in the Russian Far East and exports to China Russia · 2001–2023
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Officials' statements 2020 and 2023
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: Author of the 2013 report on illegal logging in the Russian Far East
- Kerch Strait storm, November 2007: Volgoneft 139 fuel-oil spill and sulphur-ship sinkings Russia · 2007–2018
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Post-disaster needs assessment with the European Commission
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Government claimants; military clean-up reported
- Ngorongoro and Loliondo relocations Tanzania · 1992–2026
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: NGO; reported on forced evictions
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: NGO; reported services cut
- Nornickel Sulphur Programme: SO2 targets, spending and measured emissions at Norilsk and Kola Russia · 2015–2026
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Resolution No. 353 of 12 March 2022; emissions-quota experiment postponed
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Ranked SO2 hotspots using NASA data (August 2019)
- Ogoniland and Bodo spills clean-up (SPDC, HYPREP) Nigeria · 1958–2026
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Author of the 2011 assessment and fund proposal
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: Reported on spill-cause determination and sabotage attribution
- Plastic waste imports into Türkiye (Adana) Türkiye · 2016–2026
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Reported UK plastic at Adana dumping sites (2021)
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Reported health impacts on recycling workers and residents (2022)
- Siberian wildfire season of 2019: Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Yakutia Russia · 2019
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Prime Minister ordered arson checks (1 August 2019)
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Greenpeace Russia: funding and damage-accounting commentary
- Talnakh Concentrator tailings facility: wastewater pumped onto the tundra, 2017–2020 Russia · 2017–2024
- WWF Russia (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010; there: Reported discharges since 2017 from satellite imagery
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Took samples at the discharge on 25 June 2020
- UK packaging recycling notes (PRN) system and fraud cases United Kingdom · 2009–2025
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: NGO; found UK plastic at sites in Adana
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: NGO; interviewed workers in Turkey
- Usinsk pipeline spill (Komi, 1994) and the World Bank and EBRD emergency loans Russia · 1994–2004
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Borrower of both loans; on-lent them to Komineft
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: One of the NGOs consulted in 1995 (World Bank completion report)
- Addis Ababa riverside and corridor demolitions led to evictions without compensation Ethiopia · 2020–2024
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: called for a halt to evictions
- African Parks Odzala-Kokoua abuses (Republic of Congo) Republic of Congo · 2010–2025
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee (International organisation) — here: Decision 34 COM 7B.24 on the Western Caucasus; there: Inscribed the Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua in September 2023
- Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Renew Oceans (Ganges) India · 2019–2026
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Its Unearthed unit published the 2024 comparison
- Baikal omul industrial fishing ban (from 2017) Russia · 2016–2026
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Funded releases, hatchery and research vessel
- Boké bauxite mining and the CBG expansion Guinea · 1974–2025
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Researcher and reporter
- Brent Spar decommissioning controversy (North Sea) United Kingdom · 1995–2019
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Campaigner in the Brent Spar controversy
- Cambodia REDD+ indigenous consultation failure Cambodia · 2015–2025
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Author of the 2024 report
- Chepang man dies in army custody after Chitwan park detention; homes reportedly burned Nepal · 2020
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Reported the case
- Coca-Cola plastic pledges and brand audits United States · 2018
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Analyst of the alliance's results
- Corporate suits against Greenpeace (TotalEnergies, Shell, Resolute) France, United Kingdom, United States · 2019–2024
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Defendant in all three suits
- Cosmos 1408 anti-satellite test (Russia) Russia · 2021
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Conducted the test
- Daldykan River turns red near Norilsk, September 2016 Russia · 2016
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Greenpeace Russia commented on the incident
- DuPont CFC phase-out and the ozone treaty United States · 1974–2019
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Hosts the Montreal Protocol ozone secretariat
- EDF spying on Greenpeace (France) France · 2011–2013
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Organisation placed under surveillance; awarded damages at first instance
- Energy Transfer v Greenpeace (Dakota Access) United States · 2017–2026
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Defendant in the federal suit
- EU bans three neonicotinoid pesticides outdoors in 2018; Turkey follows in part European Union · 2018
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: campaigner and reporter on exports
- EU seal-product ban's Inuit exemption found ineffective Canada · 2014
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Campaigner; apology issuer (unconfirmed)
- Gaza reconstruction and the Board of Peace's first contract Palestine (Gaza Strip) · 2024–2026
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Estimated rubble clearance time and cost
- Great Barrier Reef 'in danger' listing delayed Australia · 2021–2025
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee (International organisation) — here: Decision 34 COM 7B.24 on the Western Caucasus; there: Body that postponed the listing decision
- Greenpeace leaves the Forest Stewardship Council in 2018 Global · 2018
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Organisation that ended its FSC membership
- Greenpeace says fisheries scientist Ray Hilborn got $3.56m from seafood groups United States · 2003–2016
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: complainant; reported the funding figures
- Half-Earth and 30x30 advocacy funding (Wyss Campaign for Nature) Global · 2016–2026
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Co-author of the Protected Planet Report 2024
- Hess agreed to buy at least US$750 million of Guyana forest credits Guyana · 2011–2032
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Campaign group that criticised the plan
- ICVCM approves three REDD+ methods; older Verra methods left out Global · 2023–2024
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: published the 2024 report on the voluntary carbon market
- Indonesia's forest moratorium: ministry cited 38% less clearing, Greenpeace disputed it Indonesia · 2011–2019
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: critic; published satellite analysis
- Kabwe lead-poisoning claim against Anglo American is under appeal in South Africa Zambia · date not stated
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: advocate reporting on the case
- Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine; Wiwa v Shell Nigeria · 1958–2026
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Author of the 2011 Ogoniland assessment
- Khimki forest and the M11 Moscow–St Petersburg toll motorway (km 15–58) Russia · 2007–2025
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Land-transfer order; Medvedev and Ivanov statements
- Kolwezi forced evictions (Cité Gécamines, DRC) Democratic Republic of the Congo · 2016–2023
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: Documented the evictions
- Lagos waterfront evictions (Otodo-Gbame, Badia East) and Eko Atlantic Nigeria · 2014–2026
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: NGO; recorded evictions and deaths
- Lukoil-Komi oil spills in the Usinsk area and the Kolva River, 2011–2023, damage claims and payments Russia · 2011–2023
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Documented chronic spills; third party in the 2012 administrative case
- Marange diamonds and the Kimberley Process (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe · 2008–2025
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: NGO that reported the killings
- McKinsey advice to COP28 presidency and fossil clients United Arab Emirates · 2011–2025
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Author of the 2011 report on McKinsey's cost curves
- Net Zero Banking Alliance exits and closure International · 2023–2026
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: UN body whose statement on the 2023 insurer exits was reported
- Net-Zero Insurance Alliance collapse and insurers’ fossil underwriting Global · 2021–2025
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Convener of NZIA
- Niger Delta oil spills and sabotage attribution (Shell, Eni) Nigeria · 2008–2022
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: NGO; report on spill investigations
- Norilsk diesel spill Russia · 2020–2023
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Declared federal emergency; federal budget received the award
- Plant-for-the-Planet: 13.6 billion trees Germany / Global · 2011–2024
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Original owner of the tree campaign
- Raja Ampat nickel licences revoked Indonesia · 2025
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Campaign organisation; reported more than 500 hectares destroyed
- Resolute Forest Products v Greenpeace Canada · 2012–2024
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Defendant in the US case; campaigner
- Russia's 1 January 2022 ban on exports of unprocessed softwood and valuable hardwood logs Russia · 2020–2025
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Issued the instruction, duties and quotas
- Russia's national carbon-unit system under Federal Law 296-FZ Russia · 2021–2026
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Adopted Decree No. 234 of 2026
- Russian forest-climate projects: RUSAL fire-protection units and Sakhalin larch planting Russia · 2019–2026
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Federal Law 492-FZ and reserve-account rules
- Russian Joint Implementation credits under the Kyoto Protocol, 2009–2012 Russia · 2009–2015
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Approved projects through the Designated Focal Point
- Sakhalin carbon-neutrality experiment under Federal Law 34-FZ Russia · 2022–2028
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Set the payment rate; federal law 34-FZ
- Sakhalin-2 and Sakhalin-1 in 2022: transfer decrees, the ecological-audit deduction clause and write-downs Russia · 2022–2026
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Decree No. 416 and the orders on the stake sale
- Sakhalin-2: 2006 approval revocation, Gazprom stake purchase, 2009 damage-claim settlement and lender exits Russia · 2005–2009
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: President Putin present at the December 2006 protocol
- Shell and Greenpeace settle Penguins FPSO case; Greenpeace pays RNLI £300,000 United Kingdom · 2023–2024
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Defendant; paid the RNLI and accepted exclusion zones
- Southern Cardamom REDD+ project and the arrest of Pork Nget (Cambodia) Cambodia · 2015–2025
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Author of the 2024 report
- Soviet whaling catches and the reports to the IWC, 1948–1979 Russia · 1948–1994
- Government of Russia (Government) — here: Host government; Putin and Kozak statements; there: Supplied original catch data to the IWC Scientific Committee in 1994
- Study estimates 2,000 tonnes of uranium in DR Congo cobalt exports Democratic Republic of the Congo · 2000–2024
- Amnesty International (NGO) — here: Called Vitishko a prisoner of conscience; there: documented evictions and abuses near Kolwezi
- Tukolon reserve sanitary logging conviction in Irkutsk Oblast Russia · 2018–2024
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Prompted the Rosleskhoz check
- Turmeric, neem, basmati, Nap Hal patent revocations India · 2004–2022
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Declared victory on the Nap Hal wheat revocation
- UN plastics treaty negotiations (INC-5, Geneva, Nairobi, Bangkok) Switzerland · 2024–2026
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Convenes the negotiations; issued the announcement of the new chair
- UNEP estimate: about 2,000 tons of depleted uranium used in Iraq Iraq · date not stated
- UN Environment Programme (International organisation) — here: Expert missions, declaration of commitments, advisory role; there: Estimated the quantity of uranium used (about 2,000 tons)
- UNESCO World Heritage listings and Indigenous rights Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda · 1991–2025
- UNESCO World Heritage Committee (International organisation) — here: Decision 34 COM 7B.24 on the Western Caucasus; there: Decision-maker on listings (World Heritage Committee)
- Uzbek cotton boycott ends forced labour Uzbekistan · 2017–2026
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Human rights investigator
- Uzbek cotton clusters took farmers' land and set quotas, rights group reports Uzbekistan · 2017–2026
- Human Rights Watch (NGO) — here: Reported on detention of EWNC activists; there: Published the 2026 report
- Yakutia wildfire season of 2021: burned area and emissions Russia · 2021
- Greenpeace (NGO) — here: Resigned as Olympstroy adviser in 2010 (Greenpeace Russia); there: Greenpeace Russia: satellite-based area and commentary