Climate and ecology: Habitat: Lenta.ru.
The Kremlin is considering the possibility of unveiling Russia’s plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 at the UN Climate Talks in Glasgow (COP26), writes Bloomberg citing a knowledgeable source. Russia’s participation in the international summit will signal a change in the position of President Vladimir Putin on global warming.
In addition, the authorities can talk about their plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 79 percent by 2050. Such goals are stated in Russia’s new strategy for minimizing harmful effects on the environment, published by the Ministry of Economic Development on October 6. According to the agency, the Kremlin is currently discussing the document with other ministries. The provisions of the strategy may be prior to arrival at the international conference COP26.
Russia is one of the leading oil producers in the world and ranks fourth in the ranking of the main “pollutants” of the atmosphere. According to foreign experts, until recently it did little to respond to international pressure by participating in global warming. He did not comment on the climatic risks associated with the rise in temperature, and the departments did not take any action, despite the fact that the country joined the Paris Climate Agreement a year ago.
However, in June 2021, Putin ordered a strategy to reduce Russia’s carbon footprint. On a straight line at the end of the month, the president expressed great concern about climate change and its implications for Russia. He notes that most of the country’s territory is occupied by “permafrost”, and if the soil begins to thaw, Russia will face serious economic consequences.
In July, Putin signed a law to curb greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of September, the government completed work on a climate strategy: it is planned to allocate 34 billion rubles to combat global warming by 2030.
Russia accounts for about five percent of the world’s metallic carbon that is released into the atmosphere each year. Almost 90 percent of all energy consumed in the country is generated from dirty resources – fossil fuels. This figure is 10 percent higher than the world average. In addition, Russia has an economic incentive to make an energy transition – according to Bloomberg, accelerating the introduction of renewables will help the country save up to $ 11 billion annually over 20 years.