After collecting over 125,000 signatures to protect Lake Baikal, a unique UNESCO world heritage site in Russia, representatives from Greenpeace, WWF and Bellona handed in a petition to defend the Lake.
A pulp and paper mill is threatening the biodiveristy and integrity of this region, as the Russian government gave it permission recently to dump toxic waste in the world's largest body of fresh water. However, as a world heritage site, Lake Baikal is entitled to particular protection from UNESCO.
The UNESCO official who met NGOs said that he recognised that the Lake should be protected, and that the issue will be raised at the next meeting.
Thank you to everyone who signed the petition to protect Lake Baikal - we haven't won yet, but we're definitively progressing!
More on this issue at Greenpeace Russia.