3. NEW CHALLENGES

At the new stage of its development, and responding to new requests from the society, the EcoInfoCentre set new goals - promotion of sustainable solutions and good practices, and advancement of environmentally friendly technologies and behaviour. These new goals brought the necessity to develop further the infrastructure, organisation resources, and new forms of work. There was the need to extend
demonstration/exhibition activities on a permanent basis, create courses on environmental education for various target groups, and establish many new partnership relations with businesses, governmental bodies and other institutions.

The new challenge is to find financial support from Russian business, whose social and environmental responsibility is still quite low. Noteworthy also is the absence of charity traditions among Russian business, and defects in the Russian legislation concerning charity. Granting opportunities from the authorities are also extremely low presently.

In this situation, co-operation with and support from partner organisations and foundations in other countries are still necessary.