The Russian delegation arrived at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow with a message that each country can have its own national strategy for fighting global warming.
Moscow announced the approval of its own low-carbon development strategy until 2050 on the same day that the Glasgow talks kicked off.
The document, which was presented to the government only last week, confirms that the intensive scenario targeting carbon neutrality by no later than 2060 has been chosen as the basis of the country's strategy, which is also aimed at ensuring stable economic development under the energy transition.
This scenario will require investments in the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of about 1% of GDP in 2022-30, and 1.5%-2% of GDP in 2031-50, the document says. As a result, GHG emissions are to fall by 60% from 2019 by the middle of the century.
Although a concrete action plan for the implementation of the strategy is still to be worked out by the ministry for economic development and trade during the next six months, the document names among the decarbonization measures: the application of low- and zero-carbon technologies; stimulation of secondary energy resources; changes in tax, customs and budget policies; green financing; preservation and expansion of absorption capacities of forests and other eco systems; and promotion of carbon capture, storage and utilization.
According to Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, a member of the Russian delegation to Glasgow, Moscow is going to raise three issues at the conference. They are: the parameters of projects to increase absorption capacity by forests; technological neutrality, the aim of which is to accept nuclear energy as clean; and the mechanism of recognizing carbon units of other countries.
Biden Slams Putin
In Glasgow, US President Joe Biden criticized President Vladimir Putin for not showing up at the summit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping was similarly berated. Russia and China are among top five CO2 global emitters together with the US, the EU and India.
Biden said that Russia's wilderness was burning and Putin "stays mum" about the issue.
In fact, this is the issue that Russia is rather loud about. Prior to Biden's attack, Putin addressed online a meeting on forest management at the Glasgow conference. He emphasized that Russia, which accounts for 20% of the world's forestland, takes the "strongest and most vigorous measures to conserve" it by improving "forest management," fighting "illegal logging and forest fires" and expanding reforestation areas.
Russia is being criticized for prioritizing natural sinks absorption capacity rather than emissions reduction. Russia's climate envoy, Ruslan Edelgeriyev, who is also a member of Russia's delegation in Glasgow, said this focus was due to limited financial resources. He believes that if all resources were allocated to emissions reduction projects, the fires in unattained forests could nullify the efforts to cut emissions.
According to the CEO of Russia's biggest oil producer Rosneft, Igor Sechin, the absorption potential of Russia's ecosystems, including forests, is estimated at 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. However, according to the new low-carbon development strategy, Russia puts its absorption capacity by manageable ecosystems at 535 million tons now, aiming to increase it to 1.2 billion tons by 2050.
Russia and China both joined a global pledge to reverse deforestation by 2030 announced in Glasgow. However, neither of them are among the signatories of another major deal announced in Glasgow to cut methane emissions 30% by 2030.
Some Russian experts say Moscow's refusal to join the pledge is because China and India are not there either. Besides, such commitments would require more expensive steps to deal with methane from mines and leaks from oil and gas fields. Russia prefers instead to focus on energy efficiency, energy saving and fighting forest fires.
Corporate Commitments
Commitments to reduce methane emissions have been taken up by Russian corporations. Rosneft, for example, aims to cut its intensity of methane emissions below 0.25% by 2035.
Under pressure from its partners and customers, Rosneft is expanding its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Just last week it signed an agreement with international commodity trader Trafigura to identify opportunities to reduce GHG emissions associated with the production and transportation of Rosneft's crude oil exports.
The partners plan "to secure independent third-party verification of the carbon intensity of Rosneft’s Urals crude oil exports from production to delivery at the ports of Novorossiysk, Primorsk and Ust-Luga.
Such calculations will become more important as the EU pursues plans to introduce a carbon border tax on imports. Trafigura is a regular offtaker of Rosneft oil and is likely to keep this role for years having bought 10% in Vostok Oil.
Sechin revealed that on top of the 2035 carbon management plan Rosneft adopted last year, the oil producer is also working on a new strategy, "the main priorities of which will become adaptation to energy transition challenges and integration of the 'green agenda' in the company's business."