The Kremlin Announces Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets

April 2, 2015 – Yesterday I wrote about the New Climate Institute’s report on nations and their pledges to reduce carbon emissions. At the time I reported that Russia had, as of yet, not stated its targets. That is no longer the case. The Russian Federation is initially committing itself to a 30% decline by 2030 from 1990 levels. But it also indicated that this low-carbon target could be significantly better if the current economic crisis passes. The comment suggesting Russia could do better “if” was an obvious reference to the economic crisis brought on by Western nations applying sanctions for Russia’s occupation of Crimea and the destabilizing of Eastern Ukraine.

In Russia, its representative on the World Wildlife Fund called the reduction targets far too conservative noting that the country is home to the largest land-based carbon sink in the world, its boreal forest zone. It is observed that the boreal forest could contribute 24% of the 30% alone as a natural sink. Getting the additional 6%, therefore, seems utterly unambitious.

Still waiting to be heard from of those countries that are significant emitters:

• China – expected to announce in June.
• India  – has only committed to reduce carbon intensity per unit of gross domestic product with no overall target for lowering total emissions.
• Canada – see yesterday’s posting.
• Australia – also in yesterday’s posting.

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• Ambiguous Russian climate pledge mystifies many