Russia: absolutely necessary with climate deal

In a video address posted ahead of the Paris climate summit, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergey Donskoy confirms that the number of extreme weather and nature phenomena in the country is growing 6-7 percent every year.

Over the last 20 years, we have seen a four-time increase in weather extremities in Russia, Donskoy highlights in the address posted on the ministry’s Facebook page.

”Global warming is not a myth and it first of all comes from emissions of climate gases”, he underlines.

The minister confirms that Russia by year 2030 is ready to cut its emissions by 30 percent compared with its 1990-level.

That cut however must include the maximum absortion capacity of the great Russian taiga forests, Donskoy said. He also highlights the role of natural gas.

”The energy shift must include the replacement of coal with gas”, he stresses.

As previously reported, Russia is among the countries worst affected by climate change. Data from the Federal Service of Hydrometorology and Environmental Monitoring indicate that average annual temperature anomalities in the country amount to 3-4 °С. The global anomalies in average annual temperatures slightly exceed 1°С.

A report from the federal service says that Russia’s economic costs related to climate change will reach 1,2 percent of GDP and in some regions up to 4,5 percent. As examples, drought caused a significant drop in grain production production in 2010 and 2012.

Annual economic loss can be $3,5 billion by 2020 and $3,9 billion by 2050.

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