St Petersburg University is the leader in the number of scientific publications on the green transition
St Petersburg University heads the list of research organisations in Russia in the number of publications in Scopus-indexed journals on subjects related to the green transition. Thus, from 2000 to 2021, St Petersburg University researchers published 37 papers in leading scientific journals. The ranking of research organisations has been presented in the analytical report prepared by the experts of the Centre for Strategic Research "North-West".
The analytical report ‘Sources of New Industries. Green Transition in Industry and Cities’ was prepared jointly by the Centre for Strategic Research "North-West" Foundation and the Innovations and Youth Initiatives Support Fund of St Petersburg with the support of the government of St Petersburg. The project aims to identify long-term trends and prospects for the development of new industrial and technological markets and the most promising research and developments in: advanced chemistry; synthetic biology; artificial intelligence; and green technologies for industry and cities.
According to the report, St Petersburg University is the leader among research institutions in Russia in the number of scientific research papers on the subject, significantly ahead of other organisations on the list. Thus, St Petersburg University has 37 publications in Scopus-indexed journals. Research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) share the second place with 25 publications. In the third place is the National Research University "Higher School of Economics" (HSE University) with 18 publications.
‘St Petersburg University is willing to take on challenges of modern society, placing great emphasis on research and developments in the interdisciplinary field of ecology and sustainable development. The University’s researchers seek to find rational solutions for preserving the environment; reducing human impact; optimising resource consumption; and creating favourable living conditions. For St Petersburg University, addressing these challenges is one of its research priorities,’ said Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University.
Researchers at St Petersburg University have a wealth of experience in conducting projects on: atmospheric composition; carbon balance; ecosystem studies; climate modelling; as well as other climate and environmental projects.
An important contribution has been made by the Ozone Layer and Upper Atmosphere Research Laboratory at St Petersburg University. This research team focuses on the prediction of changes in the ozone layer caused by natural and anthropogenic factors; climate change; and space weather events. The researchers have discovered how planetary waves affect atmospheric dynamics and have proven that geomagnetic storms can destroy up to 25% of the Earth’s ozone layer.
The project ‘Comprehensive study of aerosol particles at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) in central Siberia: sources, physicochemical properties and climate effect’, supported by the Russian Science Foundation, has been implemented to solve the fundamental problem of atmospheric physics, namely the effect of atmospheric aerosol on the Earth’s climate. The researchers were able to measure concentrations of: aerosol (PM10); elemental (black) carbon; organic carbon; and inorganic ions at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory.
A significant part of the University research initiatives are Arctic research projects. In particular, the University researchers have studied the key parameters of the carbon cycle in cryogenic ecosystems; generated databases of the water quality parameters of rivers and lakes in the Arctic; and run ecosystem simulation modelling to predict ecosystem dynamics under projected climate warming.
There are research and development initiatives underway that focus on developing measures to adapt the economy and the social sphere to climate change and on promising climate technology projects.
St Petersburg University have implemented a number of research projects on ecosystems of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, aiming to: determine carbon stocks in soils; analyse the composition of gases and aerosols in the atmosphere; generate an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions; and comprehensively assess the condition of water bodies. Within the framework of the project ‘From carbon polygon to carbon farm: The potential and ways of developing the sequestration carbon industry in the Leningrad Region and St Petersburg’, a team of St Petersburg researchers seek to address a number of interdisciplinary issues in order to assess the potential and ways to develop the carbon capture and storage industry in the Leningrad Region and St Petersburg.