STATEMENT Russian non-governmental organizations / public associations to the 25th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Climate Change Convention (COP-25)

Russian environmental organizations and associations emphasize that on the basis of scientific data, including the latest IPCC reports on land use, oceans and the cryosphere, all countries have recognized the problem of anthropogenic contributions to climate change and the need for common actions to adapt and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
At theConvention of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP-25), resolutions that approve the principles, recommendations and other arrangements for effectively achieving the GOALS of the Paris Agreement must be adopted, while no resolutions undermining the Paris Agreementshould be accepted.
We consider it necessary that:

• The largest greenhouse gas-emitting countries should stop delaying emission reductions and take action now (at the UN Summit 2019 they did not announce the strengthening of targets); it is necessary already now leave the way which leads to the global warming of 3-3.5ºC and prevent global warming above pre-industrial level exceeding 1.5 ºC.
• The largest emitting countries need to make a coordinated effort to voluntarily revision of their nationally determined contributions(NDC) to global efforts in order to immediately take the path of deep decarbonization of the economy. The existing targets were developed five years ago, and during this time, many changes took place: renewable energy became much cheaper, global greenhouse gas emissions stabilized, and the rejection of coal energy began. These conditions must be taken into account and new opportunities should be used.
• The amount of funding allocated to the most vulnerable countries, regions and population groups should correspond to the scale of the problem of their losses caused by climate change and the need for damage compensations. It is important to ensure that the shares of adaptation projects and grants for its implementation were brought up to 50% of all funded climate projects. It is necessary to create emergency support mechanisms and provide for resilient recovery.
•  Socially and environmentally sound rules for Sustainable Development Mechanisms should be adopted, ensuring a significant reduction in emissions as a whole.
•  International climate projects should be transparent, adopted with the account of views of public and the Sustainable Development Goals, and encourage the use of renewable energy and other advanced technologies. It is important to prohibitenvironmentally hazardous solutions (Nuclear power plants and large dam-Hydro power plants). 
• We oppose the cross-country transfer of emission reduction units, as this decision replaces the direct actions to reduce emissions with energy-related measures.  
• We condemn the statement by US President D. Trump on the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. 
•  We urge countries that have not ratified the Paris Agreement to do so without delay.
• It is necessary to make every effort to prevent the prevalence of political and financial disagreements over the urgency of the fight against the climate crisis. 

The COP-25 Conference of the Parties by its decisions should support the desire of countries and regions for carbon neutrality by 2050, the growth of climate initiatives of cities, municipalities and companies. 
We welcome the ratification of the Paris Agreement by Russiaand the full participation of the Russian Federation in the Agreement. Now, it’s up to effective national decisions and their implementation.
Weurge Russia to:

• Revise the greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2030: to adopt the reduction target to the level of 50% of 1990 without accounting forest absorbing.
• Adopt a separate goal of carbon absorbing by forest ecosystems and wetlands. Include unaccounted and unmanaged forests (forests on agricultural lands, urban forests, etc., altogether more than 60 million hectares) in the accounting for absorbing. Extremely important is the exclusion from the economic use of intact and especially valuable forest ecosystems, the development of sustainable forest management in already developed territories, the effective protection of forests from fires, and the conservation of wetlands as natural regulators of carbon exchange.
• Adopt a national low-carbon development strategy until 2050, which would include a scenario to limit global warming by 1.5ºC. The strategy should correspond to the global environmental transition to carbon-free energy by the mid-21st century, provide for an early withdrawal from coal use and, in the future, reduce dependence on all types of fossil fuels, and should not include any increase in the share of nuclear power plants and large dam hydroelectric power plants in the country's energy balance.
•  Adopt the Federal Law on Carbon Regulation, which proposes vigorous actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including the immediate introduction of mandatory reporting of companies and regions on emissions, and later, the application of payments for greenhouse gas emissions. 
•  Without delay adopt the National Adaptation Plan (with the first stage of actions starting in 2020). To approve adaptation goals for industries and sectors of the economy (operational and long-term) with outlining tasks for regions and municipalities.
• To develop and adopt a regulatory and methodological framework for the formation and implementation of climate plans for the constituent entities (regions) of the Russian Federation and municipalities, including both the low-carbon development and adaptation. To form regional working groups with public participation for the development and implementation of adaptation plans. Climate change and climate action issues should be included (with clear deadlines)in federal educational standards.
•  Include climate actions and its results in the ratings of regional governors.

The development trend of the country should be not only the development of a climate-friendly “green” image of individual campaigns, but also the “greening” of the entire economy and spheres of Russia’s life.

The statement was adopted at the All-Russian Conference on “Climate, Energy and Resources - Solutions for the Future” (St. Petersburg, November 7, 2019), which was attended by 79 delegates of 45non-profit organizations from 29 regions of 8 federal districts of the Russian Federation.