Clean Air for Kuzbass: Kemerovo Learns to Breathe Freely
In Kemerovo, the industrial heart of the Kuzbass region, a new era of environmental transparency is beginning. The city is developing a unified digital platform to monitor industrial emissions in real time — a step toward cleaner air and sustainable industrial growth.
Protecting One of the Most Vital Resources
For decades, Kuzbass has stood at the crossroads between industrial progress and the public’s right to clean air. Now, a new digital monitoring system aims to serve as the region’s environmental dispatcher — providing transparent, real-time data on air quality.
What sets the platform apart is its ability to merge data from three critical sources: direct emissions readings from industrial facilities, meteorological data essential for modeling pollutant dispersion, and reports from municipal environmental agencies.
The platform’s key innovation lies in its automation. It will independently detect emissions that exceed acceptable limits and immediately alert regulatory authorities — reducing human error and response delays.
This system brings Kuzbass in line with modern expectations for environmental responsibility. Residents of Kemerovo will finally gain access to accurate, timely air-quality data, while businesses will operate under a framework of digital accountability.
A Proactive Approach
The initiative in Kemerovo is part of a nationwide trend toward digital environmental oversight. In 2023, Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources launched a federal platform requiring factories to install automated emission sensors on their smokestacks. High-profile cases — like Norilsk, where roughly 99% of residents were exposed to critically polluted air — have underscored the need for real-time monitoring.
Kemerovo already operates an independent platform, ‘airkemerovo.ru,’ proving strong public demand for accessible environmental data. The region has also implemented large-scale digital initiatives such as ‘GIS Kuzbass,’ which uses digital twins of local territories.
The new monitoring platform integrates seamlessly with these systems and aligns with Russia’s national ‘Clean Air’ program.
The project’s scalable design means it can be replicated in other industrial regions — both in Russia and abroad — particularly in developing nations grappling with similar environmental challenges tied to rapid industrialization.
Industry Meets Ecology
Kemerovo’s new monitoring system symbolizes a shift in how Russian industrial regions approach sustainability. Environmental responsibility is becoming digital, measurable, and transparent. The next step is the integration of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics — technologies that will not only monitor but also forecast pollution trends.
By analyzing meteorological and historical data, the system will be able to predict unfavorable weather conditions and help enterprises proactively reduce their environmental impact.
