Events/Comments

Russian Sberbank launched tender for projects of joint implementation (JI). Potential participants are waiting to JI more than 5 years - since Russian ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2004. The new procedure significantly slow down projects to reduce emissions - limit the competition is 30 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, while the JI potential in Russia exceeds 200 million tons.

On 18 February, the Russian President held a Meeting on climate change. Dmitry Medvedev stated that we need to improve our energy efficiency and reduce our emissions regardless of whether or not there is an international agreement. This is in our own interest from both an economic and environmental point of view. Russia’s goal remains unchanged – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent, based on the 1990 level, by 2020. Environmental NGOs claim this commitment insufficient.

New Russia's goal of reducing emissions - 15-25% - this is a step backwards compared with the stated in Copenhagen on 25%. Russia and a number of countries presented their commitments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 2020 following the conclusion of the climate change talks in Copenhagen. These figures become part of the Copenhagen Accord

Conference in Copenhagen, manifested international lobby groups, which include Russian corporations, including state-owned giants Atomstroyexport and Gazprom.

In 2009 Russian Government approved a new Energy Strategy of Russia until 2030. This Strategy considers export of carbon energy resources as a major factor in the development of Russia's economy, as well as calls nuclear technology among the priorities. The document identified the goal of improving energy efficiency and reducing energy intensity, but does not contain any prescriptions to achieve these goals. Strategy does not set the task of transition to low carbon energy in Russia.

In late October, Russian government adopted a new procedure for approving applications for joint implementation projects under Kyoto Protocol. In today's Russia no JI project is approved for implementation, and the applications filed under the former procedure are not approved as well and should be refiled. According to some reports, official acception of the applications may begin in February. RSEU considers, that governmental bureaucratic delays interfere with business to implement the projects, that could provide a reduction of hundreds mln tons of CO2-equivalent in the period from 2008 to 2012.

On January 14, 2010, public organisations - the Partnership for Development Association, Centre for Promotion of Environmental Initiatives, and Bird Conservation Union of Russia - held in Saratov a roundtable "Global climate change: a regional perspective." Its participants recognised the need to develop a system of adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change in the region.

Full text of independent study by McKinsey & Company has been published. This report deals with Russia's potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and save energy. It confirms RSEU position, that Russiacan keep GHG emission 65% of the 1990 level to 2020,and has a capacity for further GHG reduction.

A popular radio host and science fiction writer Yulia Latynina, followed former presidential adviser Andrei Illarionov in declaring climate change “a global fraud".

The outcome of the UN Climate Conference, held in Copenhagen from 7 to 19 December, was "Copenhagen Accord", a non-binding document that disappointed all those who hoped to prevent catastrophic climate change impacts in the future. The Russian Socio-Ecological Union believes that the conference results do not meet the global challenge of reducing anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.