Climate Actions

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.

Energy efficiency of enterprises of fuel and energy complex has become the topic of today's session of the Presidential Commission on Modernization. The session took place in Khanty-Mansiysk. Yesterday Russian president met with the head of Rosnano state corporation Anatoly Chubais, who urged to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), not with fluorescent energy saving lamps, as it was previously planned. Russian Socio-Ecological Union considers this attempt as positive, bus has some fears that such an attempt is connected with lobbying of a private company at the highest state level, as well as by the lack of official calculations of the end user expenses.

European Commission calls not to transfer the loopholes of the Kyoto Protocol to the new climate agreement. In particular, EC opposes Russian and Ukrainian trading of hot air – reductions of emissions, occurred due to crisis of the 1990s, not because of specific efforts.

Russian prime Minister Vladimir Putin made a statement that he prefers conclusion of a new climate agreement, but not an extension for the existing Kyoto Protocol. He said this on February, 10 at a summit of the nations of the Baltic Sea in Helsinki. According to environmental NGOs, the new agreement is indeed more preferable - but there is a risk that in the near future countries will be unable to agree. In this case, the Kyoto remains the only international mechanism, and its extension may become necessary and more easier measure than reaching a new agreement.

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.