Regional Initiatives

Tomsk region has a plans to electrify more than 20 settlements to 2020 with wind-solar decentralized energy sources. It will cost 91,9 mln rub which will be paid back in 3-4 years. Heads of the region's districts have shown interest in the developments by Tomsk's scientists, and region's authorities are now holding consultations concerning providing the financing of the pilot project.

A public report entitled Low-carbon future: Ural perspectives was presented in Yekaterinburg. It provides the analysis of the situation in Sverdlovsk region and evaluates opportunities and examples of low-carbon solutions in the region. The low-carbon way would prompt economic growth along with emissions reduction in different spheres of the economy.

The Sverdlovsk region becomes a pilot territory for development of a regional low-carbon strategy. This region is the most energy and resources consuming not only in Russia, but in the whole world. Now it is the first region in Russia, which has officially approved the issue of greenhouse gases reduction and has proposed 25% of GHG emission reduction at the regional level.

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District numbers 10 projects on GHG emissions reduction. These projects will secure total CO2 emissions reduction of about 18 million tons by 2012 and are likely to bring about 125 million Euro of investments to the regional economy. Will they be implemented within the Joint Implementation mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol?

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.