Climate Actions

The procedure for approval of the JU project in Russia may be changed again. Since December (6 months!) Sberbank didn’t accept any JI project proposals.
Since 2008 Ministry of Economy has approved only 32 projects (58,5 mln ton CO2) from proposed 73 projects (105,8 mln ton CO2).
Many tens more companies having an intention and high potential for CO2 fear of complicated bureaucratic procedure. Huge Russian potential of hundreds mln ton CO2 reduction remain untapped.
More information in M. Yulkin article (in Russian).

Roshydromet (Federal Service on hydrometeorology and monitoring of the environment of the Russian Federation) has published the official report on specific features of climate in the Russian Federation in 2010. The report contains the data on anomalies of climate parameters and on extreme weather and climate events.

Establishing national GHG ET Market is again being discussed. This discussion already took place some years ago, but then the idea was critically met by international experts. Now the revival of this topic is supported by the argument of stimulation of CO₂ emissions reduction. However, the idea find opponents again.

On 25 April, 2011, the Russian government has approved the Action Plan for implementation of national Climate Doctrine, which was signed 1,5 years ago. This Plan will be a benchmark for forecasts and development programs for Russian territories and industry. Ministry of Economy will make such forecasts in 2011-2020 according to the Climate Action plan taking into account climate risks, challenges for GHG emission reduction, and adaptation. The Governmental decree adopting the Action Plan doesn’t imply any funding and staff support for the Plan.

Russia has confirmed its readiness to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 and boost the efficiency of energy use by 40 percent. This statement was made by the Russian deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko after a ministerial meeting on climate which took place on the sidelines of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

September 6-7: JI Technical Workshop dedicated to the prospect of JI projects after 2012 took place in St.Petersburg. The potential of JI in Russia is fairly high (as well as investors’ interest in it) and will most likely be unlocked regardless of the outcomes of the up-coming climate negotiations in Mexico due in November/December of 2010. Sadly yet typically enough, the topics of climate change and the necessity to reduce GHG emissions – the declared objective of all Kyoto mechanisms – were hardly ever mentioned.

Two and a half years after the beginning of the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period Russia approves the first 15 JI projects that are supposed to ensure an over 30 mln tonnes reduction of carbon emissions in the country. This number is significantly lower than the overall potential of existing emissions-reducing projects, estimated to be over 240 mln tonnes. Most of the approved projects represent the oil and gas sector.

A new regular session of climate negotiations began in Bonn, Germany, on Monday. Representatives of 182 countries - members of the UN participate in the session, which is to last until Friday, June 11.

Currently, the world's emissions of greenhouse gases are regulated by the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in late 2012.

On the eve of another round of climate negotiations in Bonn, which should pave the way for the adoption of a new climate agreement at the end of the year in Cancun (Mexico), Russia expresses the need to integrate the Russian forests in the new agreement as a factor of reducing the global emissions of greenhouse gases.

Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council, the Upper House of the Russian Parliament, lectured at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His speech clearly contradicts both international scientific consensus and the Russian policy on this issue, as far as Assessment report of Russian Federal Hydro meteorological Service on climate change and its consequences for Russia territory. Sergey Mironov is not the first time oppose the Russian national climate policies. In October 2009 in the program "Late conversation" on TV he spoke of the futility of Joint Implementation projects.