Digital Government Services in Moscow Save 3,500 Trees
Moscow’s shift to electronic applications for social government services has produced an unexpected environmental benefit, helping the city preserve a forest area comparable in size to an entire district of the Russian capital.
“The environmental impact of digitalization can be measured quite precisely. By moving away from paper-based workflows and switching to electronic documentation during the application process for social services alone, the city avoided using more than 35 million sheets of paper. In terms of natural resources, that helped save around 3,500 trees,” said Elena Shinkaruk, chair of Moscow’s Committee for Public Services.
According to Shinkaruk, an area containing that number of trees would roughly match the size of the Biryulyovo Vostochnoye district in southern Moscow. She said the city’s digitalization efforts are improving not only the speed and convenience of public services, but also contributing to environmental protection and resource conservation in a major urban center.
