Climate Actions

The UN climate conference that ended recently in Bonn may become a turning point for the negotiations, says Christiana Figueres. The UNFCCC Executive Secretary believes that countries have expressed strong willingness to cooperate in the preparation of a new climate agreement. According to Climate Secretariat of Russian Socio-Ecological Union, there are some reasons for optimism concerning future decisions. However, the process is moving unacceptably slowly.

Based on the conclusions of the G7 energy ministers meeting in May, the leaders of the group in the resolution adopted in Brussels in early June promised to build "more competitive, diversified, flexible and low-carbon energy system" in their own countries.

Two positive signals simultaneously sounded on the eve of the ministerial meeting, which opens today in Bonn (Germany) within the framework of the UN Climate Conference. Influential U.S. and China officials announced ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These statements of the largest carbon emitting countries can become a good signal to leaders of other countries participating in the climate negotiations.

Japanese scientists do not consider nuclear energy as a way of addressing climate change. Representatives of environmental organizations promote the same point of view for many years. They are confident that nuclear energy is too dangerous to be an energy alternative.

The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources published the Report on implementation in 2013 of the comprehensive plan for implementation of the Climate Doctrine of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020. The document covers a range of issues related to climate change. However, according to representatives of environmental organizations, it lacks specificity in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

European Parliament has approved a compromise proposal to extend the program to control emissions of greenhouse gases from aviation for two years. Until the end of 2016, carriers will buy quotas for flights within the EU, Norway and Iceland, and since 2017 the requirements for purchase of quotas will be applied to all flights within the EU. Meanwhile, the active opponent to the European air initiative - Russia - is preparing a set of national measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions from civil aviation.

Russia has stated that the goal of keeping global warming within 2 degrees in the new climate agreement shall not be a limiting factor. Representatives of environmental organizations believe that the agreement, which must be adopted in 2015, shall fix considerable and ambitious economic mechanisms to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

We, representatives of non-governmental organizations, express our concerns about the situation in the field of environmental and energy safety in the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, which is an important process of integration in the Eurasian space.

In late May, the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan plan to sign a number of agreements, including the Agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union (Customs Union). Representatives of environmental organizations think that the unified economic policy pays insufficient attention to environmental issues, sustainable development and climate change. NGOs has approved the Position of environmental NGOs on environmental and energy policies in the Eurasian Economic Union/Custom Union

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ordered on April 2, 2014 to provide reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 by no more than 75% of the volume in 1990. Representatives of environmental organizations have long insisted on controlling greenhouse gas emissions and on introducing emission charges.