Vadim Olegovich Petrov

Vadim Olegovich Petrov

scientist, international lawyer, public official, writer and publicist

Date of birth:

19 March 1984

Place of birth:

Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR

Activity:

scientist, international lawyer, public official, writer and publicist

Alma mater:

MGIMO University; Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

Vadim Olegovich Petrov (born 19 March 1984, Moscow) is a Russian scientist, international lawyer, expert in international economic relations, public official, civic figure, writer and publicist, and Master of Public Administration (MPA). He is deputy director of the Unified Scientific Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, VNIIS Ecology, chair of the Public Council under Roshydromet, co-chair and state secretary of the Environmental Chamber of Russia, an expert in expert and analytical activities of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, state secretary of the National Committee of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and a member of the Russian delegation to UNESCO.

Biography

Petrov was born into a family of state and party officials and diplomatic workers. He is the son of Oleg Vadimovich Petrov and a first cousin twice removed of A. M. Shkolnikov, chairman of the USSR Committee of People's Control.

He graduated with honours from MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia with a degree in international law. At the same time as entering postgraduate studies at MGIMO's Department of International Law, he began teaching. In 2019 he completed training in the programme "Management of national projects in government bodies: advanced knowledge" at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). In 2021 he completed an additional professional programme at the Institute for Advanced Training of Managers and Specialists of Roshydromet, and in 2023 received a Master of Public Administration degree from RANEPA's Higher School of Public Administration.

In 2006-2008 he worked as chief lawyer, business development director and representative of shareholders of the Russian subsidiaries of the diversified financial holdings Generali Holding Vienna and Munich Re. In 2007-2012 he was CEO and founder of the Kassa 24 group of companies, one of the first Russian companies to implement bill presentment technology in the housing and utilities sector; the company was sold to a major Russian bank in 2012. In 2013 he took part in the creation of the Environmental Chamber of Russia, established within the framework of the programme of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to support non-profit organisations.

Since 2018 Petrov has held senior positions at the Unified Scientific Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, VNIIS Ecology; in 2019-2021 he headed the project office of the federal project "Clean Country". Since 2021 he has been deputy chair of the interdepartmental working group "Arctic Agenda", adviser to the director and senior researcher at the N. N. Zubov State Oceanographic Institute, and assistant to State Duma deputy B. V. Agayev on work in the Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. Since 2022 he has chaired the Public Council under Roshydromet.

Governmental and international activity

Petrov participated in the design and launch of the national project "Ecology" and headed the project office of the federal project "Clean Country" from 2018. In 2019 the project achieved 100 percent of its target indicators and milestones, while cash execution reached 95.82 percent, one of the best results in the environmental part of project activity.

He took part in the preparation of more than three dozen regulatory legal acts in the fields of emissions quotas, waste management and reform of extended producer responsibility.

As deputy director of the Unified Scientific Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, VNIIS Ecology, he oversees scientific and methodological support for the ministry's work under more than 20 international conventions and areas of international environmental cooperation. Since 2022 he has been a member of the Russian delegation to UNESCO, a member of the Intersessional Financial Advisory Group (IFAG) of the IOC UNESCO, and a member of the special intersessional working group on oceanographic observations in areas under national jurisdiction.

In 2024 Petrov was elected state secretary of the National Committee of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. In 2025 he presented the "Arctic Dossier", a national report on Russia's contribution to the restoration of Arctic ecosystems. The presentation took place at the National Centre "Russia" with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov, and representatives of the United Nations.

Expert and public work

Petrov is a full member of the International Bar Association (IBA) Committee on Environment, Health and Safety, a full member of the Council of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE), and an expert in expert and analytical activities of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation. He is a member of the Society for Ecological Restoration.

He runs the official Telegram channel "Petrov's Rescript", which is included in the register of Roskomnadzor.

In cultural diplomacy and public activity, Petrov is known as one of the organisers of the Richter Meetings festival and the Moscow Emil Gilels Piano Music Festival. Both projects were held with greetings from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

Awards

• Medal "For Assistance" of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
• Medal "For Impeccable Work and Distinction" of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
• Departmental award of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia.
• Commendations from the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, Roshydromet, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Moscow City Duma and the Association of Supporters of the All-Russian Political Party United Russia.

Selected scientific publications

Petrov is the author of more than 40 scientific articles and almost ten scientific monographs. His main works include:

• International Law / edited by A. N. Vylegzhanin. Moscow, 2009.
• Management of Land and Other Natural Resources / edited by V. N. Khlystun. Moscow, 2020.
• Comprehensive Proposals for Improving the Institution of Extended Responsibility of Producers and Importers of Goods and Packaging in Russia: A Vision of Academic Science, Society and Business. Moscow, 2021.
• Elimination of Accumulated Environmental Damage in the Russian Federation: Current Regulation. Moscow, 2025.
• Scientific and Methodological Foundations of Summary Calculations of Atmospheric Air Pollution. Moscow, 2025.
• Ecology Inside Out: How International Environmental Communities Work in Russia and Abroad. Moscow, 2023.
• Alexey Bogolyubov: Sailor, Artist, Patron / V. E. Koptev-Dvornikov, V. O. Petrov. Moscow: Russian PEN Centre, 2025. ISBN 978-5-6053720-5-9.

Among his best-known articles are "International ESG Ratings" and "Features of Domestic ESG Ratings" in the journal Budget of the Ministry of Finance of Russia, as well as "History of the Environmental Movement in Russia: Past and Present" and "Spatial Development of the Russian Federation: The Basis of the Country's Geostrategy and Geopolitics".