Events/Comments

On 17 December President Medvedev signed a Climate Doctrine for Russia - even as prospects for a political agreement at the climate summit in Copenhagen fade. The Doctrine is a strategy document, which sets out Russia’s steps to use less power to create the same economic benefits. The signing of the Doctrine was timed to Medvedev’s visit to Copenhagen. Unfortunately, the eight months that passed since the Russian Government approved the Doctrine) were irretrievably lost for its application in Russia - the world¹s third CO² emitter.

http://rusecounion.ru/ang_climat_rf_2349

The Russian Socio-Ecological Union believes that boreal forests must be reflected in the climate agreement along with tropical forests, and they should be given considerable attention, as the largest natural carbon sinks. This was the opinion of participants in the debate, which took place on 14 December Klimaforum - parallel floor of the international climate conference in Copenhagen.

On 14 December, representatives of Russian NGOs – observers to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen, handed the Open Letter to Alexander Bedritsky, Advisor to the President of Russian Federation on issues of climate change. In the Letter, the NGOs call for continuation of the talks under the working group on the Kyoto Protocol, to officially announce the inappropriate character of transfer of unused quotas from the Kyoto period to future periods, and not to consider nuclear energy as a renewable energy source and as a technology that could contribute to climate change mitigation.

Today’s publication on the President’s blog again emphasises Russia’s position on climate policy and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (need in joint efforts, differentiation of developed/developing countries, account of Russia’s forests as a contribution to GHG emissions reduction, increasing energy efficiency by 40% by 2020 and increasing share of renewable energy sources, in particular, nuclear energy).
The Russian Socio-Ecological Union calls for constructive position of Russia at the climate talks and for strong pledges on emission cuts. Meanwhile, the RSEU is categorically against the plans to develop nuclear energy and does not consider it as a possible solution to climte change problem.

On December 12, on the World Day of Climate Action, over 100 thousand people took part in the demonstration in Copenhagen to draw attention to climate change, with the general requirement to political leaders around the world: to adopt an equitable, ambitious and legally binding agreement on climate.

Head of the Russian Delegation at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen Alexander Bedritsky gave an interview to RIA Novosti. He believes that reduction of greenhouse gas emissions should be implemented regardless of what happens with the climate, because it is necessary for development of new technologies and, ultimately, for economic growth. "If you take excessive burden, it may become an obstacle for economic development. Just do not take such obligations"- he said. According to Russian NGOs, the commitments to limit the emissions by 65% of the 1990 baseline are quite feasible and beneficial for Russia, this opinion being confirmed by expert data.

Participants of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen are very interested, whether Russia will make a “present” to the rest of the world, not transferring hot-air quotas to the post-Kyoto period

An unnamed representative of the official Russian delegation at the talks in Copenhagen said that Moscow will not raise the issue of transferring unused quotas to the time period of the next agreement. “This will be our environmental present to the world” he said..

The world summit on climate change opens on 7 December in Copenhagen. Preparations for this conference lasted for years, but recently its results became indefinite. The RSEU opposes the proposals to make a legally non-binding political declaration the sole result of the summit. The RSEU position is expressed in the Statement of non-governmental organisations from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine on the forthcoming summit. RSEU members will take part in the conference as public observers and will express their position to the public and media during the negotiations.

The British Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) published a study, saying that if temperatures continued to increase at the present rate, by 2100 the sea level would rise by up to 1.4 metres — twice that predicted two years ago.

Recently, in late November Russian Federal Law "On energy saving and improvement of energy efficiency" came into force. To make this law working instrument several additional governmental decrees as well as special federal programs of action should be adopted. RSEU considers that the big disadvantage of this Law is excluding from the draft the important chapter, devoted to the rights of ordinary energy consumers.